3 Reasons Why Pretzels Are a Big No!

While watching a movie, studying for examination and gossiping with friends, what is it that we want the most? One answer: Snacks! Of course these times require munching on food that is not too filling yet just right to go along with the mood.

Among the list of the most popular snacks are Pretzels. They are eaten with almost anything, be it cheese sauce or salads. The only reason why they are so popular is their crunchy texture, salty taste that complements almost every dip and the fact that they are low in calories.

Although they are consumed in such high quantity, people do not realize that these snacks are not nutritious. They are based on grains and do not contain nutrients like proteins and fiber to keep the body healthy.

Moreover, pretzels alone do not have a very strong flavor and that is why they are eaten with dips such as barbeque, cheese and honey mustard or they are flavored such as with cinnamon and sugar. All of this means adding carbs and calories which leads to an unhealthy diet.

All of this means that pretzels have negligible nutritional value. They are consumed merely because of their flavor.

What follows are 3 essential reasons about why you should not be eating pretzels:

THEY ARE LOW IN PROTEIN

Pretzels are not a very rich source of proteins. They have around 2.5g of protein in one serving, which is about 4% of the total daily protein requirement (149 lb).

If you are on to losing your weight, you should be selecting snacks that have protein, substantial enough to store food in your stomach for a longer period of time. But because pretzels are so low in protein content, they leave you feeling hungry soon after you have had them.

THEY ARE LOW IN CARBOHYDRATES

Pretzels are rich in carbs. That is where almost all of their energy comes from. They have approximately 24g of carbs in one serving. But along with that, they are very low in fiber, about 0.9g in a serving.

As fiber is a very integral factor in digesting food and staying energized between meals, it is important that you select snacks which have more of complex carbohydrates (like fibers), rather than simple ones. Pretzels are not a very mature choice when it comes to snacks rich in complex carbs.

THEY COMPRISE A VERY LESS AMOUNT OF MINERALS AND VITAMINS

Few but not all brands of pretzels have some amount of minerals and vitamins such as a serving of pretzel may include 9% of daily requirement of Thiamin, 9% of Niacin, 5% of Folate and 8% of Riboflavin.

One important thing to keep in mind is that pretzels do have a lot of sodium. Experts say that sodium intake for a day should not cross the limit of 2,399mg. Whereas pretzels provide you with 285 to 485mg of sodium in one serving, this is around 13% to 22% of your daily body requirement.