What are your thoughts about pretzels? Are they as bad as I think they are? Pretzels are my guilty pleasure....since they are salty and crunchy, I sometimes eat more of them then I should. I am also afraid that since they are salty, they tend to retain water too....what's your experience with them?/ Thanks!
I will always, always overeat them..so I just don't keep them around. If I ever want any, I will just buy a single serving size bag so I can't overindulge.
I think it depends on the plan you've laid out. I'm calorie counting so if I could work them into my day and stay within my range, I'd eat them. (If I liked them. ) They're one of those foods I can live without.
That said though, they don't pack a lot of nutrition so I'd limit myself to a very small serving.
I will always, always overeat them..so I just don't keep them around. If I ever want any, I will just buy a single serving size bag so I can't overindulge.
You're also right about the salt.
This.
I love pretzels and if I buy them I have a compulsion to eat more and more of them, so I don't buy them. If I feel I need them I buy a snack size, that usually does the trick. Overall I think pretzels are fine to eat is small quantities.
I love 'em because of the starchy/salty aspects of them, but that said I also don't eat them very often because I can't stop myself when a big bag is in the house.
My relatives from Europe are here and they love pretzels...that's why I buy them. I am okay if I don't have them in the house. I'll focus more on popcorn I guess! It's 1 pt only on WW.
I'm very fortunate in that the only thing I like about them is their mouth-feel & the great crunch. (I think they actually taste like compacted sawdust with salt crystals on top.) Give me a cracker any day instead.
Anything that crunches is not a friend of mine, I've noticed. My mouth must really enjoy the sensation, like it's being taken on an amusement park ride. Those are the things I tend to want more of & to overeat & to put more in my mouth when I am still chewing.
The sodium is probably horrible, but I love pretzels for the salt. I've found I don't care for certain brands of pretzels because they're flavourless, but if they're around, I'll eat them anyway just to gnaw the salt off and then crunch away.
I'm sure with all the sodium you do retain some water, but they're low in calories and fat, and if you can find whole wheat pretzels you'll at least be getting some goodness out of them. If you get tempted to overeat when you have pretzels, you might try dividing a bag into multiple single-serving containers. If I'm eating something salty and crunchy out of a big bag, I'll eat until I'm stuffed, but if I have it in single-serving containers, when I'm done what's in the container, I'm done.
Oh yum! I forgot all about pretzels! When I was skinnier (around 110-115) I used to eat pretzels all the time. I personally am not a calorie/sodium/carbohydrate/etc. counter. The main things I look at when buying food, especially snacks, are the total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. For me, a low fat high carbohydrate diet works best. With all that being said, I would say pretzels are an excellent choice. An extra serving probably won't hurt, but if you're eating way too many...maybe have someone "hide" them from you That's something I sometimes have to do. Popcorn is an excellent substitute! I love Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Corn.
Last edited by missprincess88; 01-18-2010 at 12:24 PM.
I love salty crunchy foods, such as pretzels. But, I try to make sure every calorie I eat is packed with nutrition, so I avoid them. I don't keep any at home. Maybe getting a single serving bag once in a while would be ok. Maybe a treat for when you go to the movies?
I think pretzels are "good" or "bad" depending on what diet you're on. For me they're a poor choice because they are a high refined carb snack with no nutritive value. If you can find a whole grain/whole wheat variety I would choose those instead of the traditional empty white ones.
I like pretzels but I don't normally buy them; since I don't crave them, I don't feel the need to use the calories on them.
However, when I was more into snacking, I would buy the larger pretzels, not the rods or mini-twists. Three larger pretzels took so much longer to eat than 20 rods or twists, so I could munch longer for fewer calories.
Thoughts about pretzels???
) They're one of those foods I can live without. 
That's something I sometimes have to do. Popcorn is an excellent substitute! I love Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Corn.
