How Many Calories ... in Garlic Bread?

There are few things I love more than bread, butter and garlic. Combine them into one and you've got what I consider a perfect side dish -- garlic bread. I'll have it with Italian food, a steak dinner, or as a meal on it's own. But I'm a little worried about the nutritional content -- after all, white bread and butter aren't exactly the healthiest ingredients and while garlic is pretty good for you, it's not going to offset the damage the rest of the meal could do.

So what do you think? Garlic bread: A calorie-conscious choice or a dieting disaster?

According to the Daily Plate, a 235 g serving of garlic bread from the grocery store is estimated to have 744 calories, 18.6 g of fat and 103 g of carbs. Ouch. I think that estimate is a bit higher than usual, but you get the point -- garlic bread is heavy in saturated fat and refined carbs, and low in nutrition.

That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, however. Just don't trust the grocery store or restaurant brands. Instead, make your own using whole grain bread and olive oil. Stick to just one piece, and don't order garlic bread with cheese. Here are some recipes for low-fat garlic bread:

• Weight Watchers' Low-Fat Garlic Bread
• Roasted Garlic on Bread from About.com
• Really Low-Fat Garlic Bread on Low-Carb-Recipes.co.uk