Pretzels have been a snack staple for quite a long time. As a snack food, they are synonymous with other favorites like popcorn, chips and the like. From European descent, pretzels are baked goods that have been made out of dough in both hard and soft varieties. They are flavored in either sweet or savory varieties and then tied in a knot to finish the presentation. Pretzels come in both larger sizes as well as smaller ones; customarily, larger pretzels are eaten by themselves while the smaller ones are eaten as multiple snack items. Here are some things to consider if you are fond of eating pretzels as a snack.

Healthy Pretzels

Healthy pretzel does not have to be an oxymoron. It just depends on where you look. But if you know where to look, you can find healthier pretzels such as those that advertise themselves as low sodium and low calorie pretzels. An example of a brand that makes this type of healthier pretzel is the late actor Paul Newman's company, which features pretzels that come with only 1 gram of fat and 100 calories. Or you can also opt for the Snyder's of Hanover brand which features a honey mustard flavor that will only cost you 3 grams of fat and 130 calories. Another kind of healthier pretzel is the unsalted variety, as this will cut the amount of sodium in a serving of pretzels by up to 50%.

Unhealthy Pretzels

Unhealthy pretzels are defined by whatever extra flavor and dips they have that accompany them. For instance, pretzels that are flavored with sugar or cinnamon, which are generally called the sweet varieties, are bad for you, as are those pretzels that come with savory dips such as mustard, honey mustard and even barbecue dips. Pretzels are already very high in sodium, carbs and calories, so adding on extra flavor by way of sweetening them and serving them with additional dipping sauces is just going to exacerbate the problem of unhealthy pretzels. Furthermore, pretzels are very low or totally lacking in terms of nutrients. In a nutshell, the nutritional value of eating pretzels is basically zero, as they have no vitamins or any nutrients that are good for you. You are basically eating pretzels only for the purpose of taste.

What to Consider

You have to consider whether you want to gravitate toward unhealthy eating habits just so you can enjoy the nice, salty, sweet or savory taste of pretzels in your mouth. You have to weigh whether you want to let into your body all those unhealthy levels of carbs, sodium and calories, just for a little bit of a snack treat. While eating pretzels every once in a while will not completely ruin your diet, it's best to perhaps eat fruits or vegetables when you are craving a snack.