Original Olde Tyme pretzels were first produced in 1909 by the Hanover Pretzel Company. Over the years, the company merged with another snack company started by the Snyder family to form Snyder's of Hanover. While the company makes various types of snack foods, pretzels remain one of its primary offerings. Its pretzels may be part of a healthy diet, but do not offer much in the way of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Pretzel Favorites
Snyder's of Hanover makes dozens of types of pretzels. Butter snaps, dipping sticks, Old Tyme, rods, snaps, sourdough hards, honey wheat sticks, pumpernickel and onion, unsalted, minis and homestyle are among the original pretzel "favorites." Snyder's also makes a line of pretzel "chips" in original or garden veggie flavor.
Calories and Macronutrients
The Old Tyme, butter, honey wheat, pumpernickel and onion, dipping sticks and multigrain pretzels all contain 120 calories per ounce. Mini pretzels and the pretzel snaps contain 110 calories and the sourdough hards contain 100 calories per ounce. Fat content for all the pretzels ranges from 0 to 1 g per ounce. All contain 22 g to 25 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of protein per ounce.
Fiber
Most of the pretzels provide 1 g or less of fiber per serving. The multi-grain pretzel sticks still contain mostly refined white flour, with whole wheat flour listed as the third ingredient, but do offer 3 g of fiber per 1-oz. serving. The pumpernickel and onion and honey wheat flavors provide 2 g of fiber per serving. The Institute of Medicine recommends women get a minimum of 25 g of fiber daily and men 38 g. None of the pretzels serves as a good source of whole grains which the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends make up at least half of your daily grain intake.
Sodium
The traditional Old Tyme pretzels contain just 120 mg of sodium per ounce. Other varieties contain 200 mg to 290 mg; the most is in the pretzel rods. If you eat two or more 1-oz. servings of the pretzels, you could use up a high percentage of the 1,500 mg recommended daily by the Institute of Medicine. The unsalted mini pretzels contain the least sodium, just 75 mg per serving.
Sugar and Iron
Most of the pretzels contain no added sugar. The honey-wheat flavor does contain 4 g of sugar per 1-oz. serving. Only a few of the pretzel flavors, specifically the homestyle, mini and pumpernickel and onion varieties, provide 2 percent of the daily recommended allowance for iron.
Considerations
In addition to traditional pretzel "favorites," Snyders offers fancy variations. It makes chocolate-covered pretzels, pretzel sandwiches filled with peanut butter and chocolate-covered or white creme-covered pretzel sandwiches. Savory cheese-filled pretzel sandwiches are also available. These versions contain more calories, sugar and fat than traditional versions without any more fiber or nutrition. Pretzel pieces enhanced with flavors like barbecue, honey mustard, hot buffalo wing and jalepeno also contain more fat, calories and sodium than the traditional pretzel offerings.
Member Comments