Wetzel's Pretzels Nutrition

A craving for a soft pretzel or an icy cold drink might motivate you to stop into a Wetzel's Pretzels chain restaurant, many of which are located in shopping malls across the United States 1. In addition to plain and flavored soft pretzels, Wetzel's Pretzels also offers stuffed pretzels, pretzel dogs, lemonades and sodas 1. While the restaurant doesn't offer specific nutrition information, there are menu items that offer more in the way of nutrition than others. Choosing these foods and drinks will keep your visit to Wetzel's Pretzels as healthy as possible 1.

Plain Pretzels

The classic soft pretzel is one of the options at Wetzel's Pretzels, and in terms of fat content, it might be one of your healthiest options, though the pretzel dough still contains some fat from the addition of oil or butter 1. Instead of ordering the buttered original pretzel, opt for the non-buttered option to cut your intake of saturated fat and sodium. (See Reference 1) Too much of either can increase your risk of heart disease. (See References 3 and 4) The sour cream and onion pretzel also contains more sodium than the un-buttered original.. You should also skip the Sinful Cinnamon and the Cin-a-Yum, because they're coated with sugar or a sugary sauce, and too much sugar increases your risk of weight gain and heart disease. (See References 1 and 2) Ordering a Kids Bitz, which is a half order of the pretzel bites, is one way to get the taste you want for less fat and sodium. (See Reference 1)

Baked Cheese Pretzels

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The baked cheese pretzels are too high in saturated fat and sodium to be considered a nutritious addition to your diet. The Cheese Meltdown, for example, is topped with melted cheese, and while the cheese supplies protein and calcium, it's also high in saturated fat and sodium. (See Reference 1) The Pepperoni Twist is even fattier and saltier because it also has a layer of pepperoni on the exterior of the pretzel. (See Reference 1) The jalapenos on the jalapeno topped baked cheese pretzels supply a bit of vitamin C, but combined with the cheese, these options are also high in saturated fat and sodium. There really isn't a best option when it comes to the baked cheese pretzels either.

Pretzel Dogs

Perhaps worst of all, in terms of saturated fat and sodium, are the pretzel dogs that Wetzel's Pretzels offers 1. These are hot dogs wrapped in a soft pretzel, and can be topped with a baked cheese, if desired. (See Reference 1) Hot dogs themselves are quite high in saturated fat and sodium, but they don't supply much in the way of essential vitamins and minerals to help compensate. It's probably best to skip the pretzel dogs all together for this reason.

Lemonades and Sodas

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Sodas are quite sugary and consuming a large soda at Wetzel's Pretzels means that you can consume 10 teaspoons of sugar, or more, in one sitting 1. (See Reference 5) The same soda can also contain 150 more calories, (See Reference 5) and too many calories in your daily diet will lead to weight gain. Though most lemonade, whether it contains fruit juice or not, supplies some amount of vitamin C, it's still not nutritious. Fruit-flavored beverages, such as lemonade, can contain 10 or more teaspoons of sugar, just like soda. (See Reference 5) Your best beverage bet at Wetzel's Pretzels is a bottle of water, which is naturally calorie and sugar-free 1. (See Reference 5)