Soft Pretzel Nutrition Information

When it comes to pretzels, there are just two basic options: hard and soft. While hard pretzels have been around since approximately 610 C.E., soft pretzels are a much more recent development, thought to have originated in the Philadelphia are in the 1800s. As Elaine Dann Goldstein reported in the New York Times (1988), an estimated 300,000 Philadelphians consume soft pretzels each day -- although you can readily find this snack throughout the United States.

Calories and Fat

One large soft pretzel contains 483 calories, but this number may vary depending on how pretzels are made and the ingredients -- generally water, sugar, salt, flour and yeast -- as well as the size of the pretzel. Consider consuming half a large pretzel as the number of calories in a whole pretzel is far too many for an ideal snack; the Diet Channel website indicates that the right size snack ranges from 100 to 200 calories. A soft pretzel also contains 4 g of fat, although this accounts only for 0.8 percent of the calories.

Carbohydrates and Fiber

One soft pretzel contains 99 g of carbohydrates, which is 76 percent of the daily recommended intake of 130 g. An April 2010 article in "Scientific American" cites a variety of studies indicating that ingesting too many processed carbohydrates, such as those found in soft pretzels, may raise your chances of developing heart disease, obesity and diabetes even more than saturated fat. You will also get 2 g of fiber from one soft pretzel.

Protein

Additionally, one soft pretzel contains 12 g of protein, or 21.4 to 26 percent of the 46 to 56 g that are recommended as a daily amount. The protein in soft pretzels is considered incomplete, which means it lacks one or more essential amino acids. You can get a complete protein by adding peanut butter to the pretzel.

Minerals

Including a soft pretzel in your diet contributes toward your daily iron and calcium needs. One pretzel contains 31 percent of the iron your body requires each day, which may help ward off anemia. This medical condition can result in fatigue. Each soft pretzel also provides 3 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium.

Health Concerns

Thanks to the salt in soft pretzel dough as well as the large granules of salt routinely sprinkled over the surface, one large soft pretzel contains over 100 percent of the daily suggested limit of 1,500 mg. To cut down on the amount of sodium, choose a soft pretzel that does not have salt on it, or if you're making your own soft pretzels, replace regular salt in the recipe with sea salt, which may contain slightly less sodium.