True Life: I'm a Carb Queen

Despite the proliferation of carb-counting diets and anti-bread campaigns in the past few years, I have remained a steadfast fan of all things starchy. One of my (many) favorite places in the grocery store is the bakery section--not only is the aroma of baking bread intoxicating, but there are also so many baked goods to examine and explore. Indeed, my kitchen is constantly stocked with English muffins, bagels, and bread. While the fresh stuff nearly always taste best, I've discovered a few packaged gems that I've grown to love in recent weeks.

Rudi's English Muffins
While these little rounds of joy cost a pretty penny ($3.99 per pack of 6), they provide the perfect fresh-baked texture for a variety of applications. So fluffy and perfect for soaking up flavor.
Rudi's produces several varieties: whole grain wheat, spelt, and multigrain with flax. Each variety provides 120-130 kcalories, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. All except the multigrain variety are whole grain.
Suggested use:
*Crust for mini pizzas
*Accompaniment to tofu scramble
*Base for a breakfast sammie
*Vehicle for loads of PB:)
La Tortilla Factory EVOO Soft Wraps
These tortilla wraps enjoy widespread popularity across the food blogosphere; Hungry-Girl is just one of their well-known fans . While they are available in many major supermarkets such as Publix and Wal-Mart, I have a difficult time locating them in Durham--when I do have access to them at home, I am always sure to stock up. What's so amazing about these wraps? 1) They're big. 2) They're relatively low in kcalories. 3) They're stretchy--meaning that making monster wraps is a breeze!
These, too, are available in several varieties: traditional, multigrain, tomato basil, and rosemary. Each wrap contains just 100 kcalories (for the whole thing!), a whopping 13 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein, along with 3 grams of fat. While the ingredients list is a tad long and not as natural as other brands' (e.g., Rudi's Flax Wraps), they're a kcalorie bargain so that you can stuff it full of even more of your favorite ingredients.
Suggested use:
*Monster wraps
*Base for thin crust pizza
*Homemade tortilla chips
Arnold's Light Breads
Ya know those times when you want a sandwich, but don't want a heavy snack? Many turn to "diet" breads for this very purpose, which provide minimal kcalories for a serving of 2 slices of bread. However, many of these breads are not whole grain and lack the texture to make them worthwhile. Enter: Arnold's Bakery.
Arnold's makes three varieties: 100% Whole Wheat, 7 Grain, and Oatmeal. Only the 100% whole wheat is whole grain. Each 2-slice serving contains just 80 kcalories, 1 gram of fat, and 5 grams of protein.
Suggested use:
*Nighttime sammie
*Vehicle for mounds of cottage cheese
*However you enjoy your normal bread!
Rudi's Bagels
When I finally discovered these wonders in my local health food store (after coveting those of my fellow food bloggers'), I practically leaped for joy. Nutritious bagels of a reasonable size that don't taste like cardboard are hard to find. Rudi's delivers the goods once again.

Rudi's produces several varieties of these bagels: plain, cinnamon raisin, sweet wheat, and multigrain. The nutritional stats vary according to variety, but most provide 130-150 kcalories, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. Only the sweet wheat variety is whole grain.

Suggested use:
*Toasted and smothered with nut butter of choice (the perfect accompaniment to your morning smoothie)
*Spread with Laughing Cow Light, Tofutti, or light cream cheese (especially for cinnamon raisin variety)
*Sliced and baked to make homemade bagel chips
Well, that concludes my list of most recent grain-based faves. What bread products can't you live without?