How to Pick the Healthiest Pretzel

By : Jodie Shield | 1 Comment | On : April 20, 2015 | Category : Adults, Kids, Seniors, Teens

Stick to these 7 tips and pick a pretzel that’s a nutritional winner!

By: Jodie Shield, RDN

Pretzel lovers! Did you know that pretzels symbolize the marriage bond. (Ever hear of tying the knot?) Maybe that’s why so many of us have a love-hate relationship with this popular grab-and-go snack. As a dietitian, I know pretzels are no nutritional powerhouse – they lack the protein, vitamins, and minerals of pecans and other nuts. But they’re lower in calories and fat – only 1 gram per serving compared to 10 grams in greasy potato chips. Most of us eat on average 1.5 pounds of pretzels every year. In honor of National Pretzel Day, here are seven tips to help you pick the healthiest pretzel hard or soft – your call.

Keep the ingredient list short, and not too sweet. My rule of thumb: six ingredients or less. Sugar is added to help the yeast work, just make sure it appears near the end. Avoid brands with corn syrup.

Skip the salt. Buy frozen soft pretzels and bake them without the salt. Try unsalted pretzels with no more than 75 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Savor natural flavor. Opt for plain, sourdough or pumpernickel pretzels. Savory seasonings (cheddar, mustard, BBQ) and sweet coatings made with yogurt or chocolate pile on the sodium, sugar, and calories.

Size up servings. Even though hard pretzels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, a serving is 1-ounce (28 grams). Crunch the numbers for 110 calories you can have: 3 7-inch rods, 11 crisps, 18 mini twists, 22 nuggets, or 53 thin sticks – all for 110 calories.

Check fat. Most pretzels are low fat and provide no trans fats. Stay away from fat-free pretzels; they replace fat with added sugar. Opt for brands made with heart-healthy fats like corn oil or sunflower oil rather than palm or coconut oil. Aim for 1 gram of fat per serving.

Go whole grain. Don’t let the golden brown color fool you. Very few pretzels are made with whole grains. Shop for 100% whole wheat or look for multi-grain options with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

Boost Protein. Pretzels filled with peanut butter add protein along with sugar. Try dipping pretzels in hummus or natural peanut butter for a hunger-fighting protein boost.

Be sure to check out my quick and easy recipe for whole wheat soft pretzels. It’s also on my app Time to Eat Healthy!

 

This article was originally written for FitStudio.