Many diet plans recommend eating pretzels in place of other fatty snacks such as chips. They are often lower in calories and still satisfy that salty craving. While one would assume that pretzels are vegan, you need to read the ingredient list carefully to determine whether they are vegan.
Rold Gold Pretzels Original Flavor is vegan. This includes the sticks, twists, braids, thin or regular size. However, other Rold Gold Pretzels flavors are not vegan. The Cheddar Twists contain dairy products and Honey-Wheat Braided Twists contain honey, making them both non-vegan. The best vegan alternative to Rold Gold Pretzels is Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels.
Rold Gold pretzels are baked, not fried, and most are lactose-free. Many of the varieties are a great snack for the vegan diet, but not all of them. In this article, we will cover the various Rold Gold Pretzels varieties, as well as offer other vegan alternatives!
Are Pretzels a Healthy Snack?
Contrary to popular belief, pretzels may not be the best snack option. They are often made with refined wheat flour, a lot of salt/sodium, processed oil, and sugars. Compared to other snacks, they are a better choice and that’s why they are often listed as a substitute for potato chips in many diet plans. Not all pretzels are made the same, so you still need to look at the ingredients as well as the serving size.
Pretzels fall into two main categories, soft and hard. Soft pretzels are large and doughy and are usually eaten fresh, as they have fewer preservatives. You can find “soft” pretzels in the frozen food section, but these may contain some less than desirable ingredients. Also, soft pretzels are often sold with a dip such as cheese or mustard. The specialty places may also dip them in sugar, cinnamon, or seeds. If you are wise on your dip or coating choices, they can still be considered healthy. Check the nutrition chart at the vendor to make sure.
Hard pretzels come in sticks, twists, or other shapes. They are small, come in single-serving or larger packages, and have a long shelf life. Hard pretzels are often treated with sodium hydroxide before baking, which gives them a shiny, dark appearance, a desirable crunch, and a supposedly better taste.
While pretzels satisfy your need for a salty snack, they are high in simple carbohydrates. In small quantities, salt and carbs can provide quick energy, but little else. They have a high glycemic index score. They are not a good source of fiber, nor do they provide vitamins or minerals. The amount of sodium in a small When a serving size is between 13 and 20 small pretzels, it’s very easy to overeat them.
Rold Gold Pretzels Nutrition Facts
When choosing a healthy snack, many believe that a handful of pretzels is a wise choice. Plain hard pretzels are not overly laden with sugars and fats.
The serving size of Rold Gold Original Tiny Twists Pretzels is 17 pretzels. Each serving has:
- 110 calories
- 1 gram of fat (0 grams of saturated fat)
- 2 grams of protein
- less than 1 gram of fiber
- 1 gram of added sugar
- 450 mg of sodium
- Calcium (10 mg)
- Iron (1.2 mg)
- Potassium (80 mg)
Nutrition by Variety
Rold Gold has several varieties. The twists, sticks, thins, and braids have essentially the same ingredients. The protein, calcium, vitamin D, iron, and potassium levels vary slightly. The fat-free option, cheddar twists, and honey wheat has some different ingredients.
Rold Gold labels their pretzels in equal calorie ratios. One serving is most often 110 calories, but the serving size and other nutritional value vary.
Rold Gold Original Tiny Twists Pretzels
Ingredients:
- Enriched Flour
- Wheat Flour
- Niacin
- Reduced Iron
- Thiamin Mononitrate
- Riboflavin
- Folic Acid
- Salt
- Corn Oil
- Corn Syrup
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
- Malt Extract
- Yeast
Here’s the nutrition information in the Tiny Twists Pretzels:
- 110 Calories in 17 pretzels
- 1g fat,
- 450mg sodium
- 23g carbohydrates
- <1g dietary fiber
- 1g sugar
- 2g protein.
Rold Gold Thin Original Pretzels have the same ingredient list, but slightly different nutritional numbers:
- 110 calories in 9 pretzels
- 1g fat
- 23g carbohydrates
- <1g dietary fiber
- 1g sugar
- <1 gram added sugars
- 2 grams protein.
Rold Gold, Braided Honey Wheat, Pretzels
Depending on the strictness of your diet, these are NOT vegan due to the addition of honey.
Ingredients:
- Enriched Flour
- Wheat Flour
- Niacin
- Reduced Iron
- Thiamin Mononitrate
- Riboflavin
- Folic Acid
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Sugar
- Honey
- Corn Oil
- Salt
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
Nutrition numbers:
- 110 calories in 8 pretzels
- 1g fat
- 220mg sodium
- 23mg carbohydrates
- <1g dietary fiber
- 1g total sugars
- 2g protein.
Rold Gold Cheddar Flavored Tiny Twists Pretzels
These are NOT vegan due to the addition of several ingredients – milk, cheese cultures, enzymes, and whey.
Ingredients
- Enriched Flour
- Wheat Flour
- Niacin
- Reduced Iron
- Thiamin Mononitrate
- Riboflavin
- Folic Acid
- Salt
- Corn Oil
- Corn Syrup
- Maltodextrin (Made From Corn)
- Whey
- Cheddar Cheese
- Milk
- Cheese Cultures
- Salt
- Enzymes
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Sunflower Oil
- Lactose
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Onion Powder
- Blue Cheese
- Milk
- Cheese Cultures
- Salt
- Enzymes
- Corn Syrup Solids
- Skim Milk
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
- Malt Extract
- Yeast
- Citric Acid
- Buttermilk
- Lactic Acid
- Artificial Color
- Yellow 5
- Yellow 6
- Garlic Powder
- Spices
- Sodium Caseinate
- Disodium Inosinate
- Disodium Guanylate
Nutrition Numbers:
- 110 calories in 20 pretzels
- 5g fat
- 480mg sodium
- 22mg carbohydrates
- <1g dietary fiber
- 5g total sugars, including 4g added sugars
- 2g protein.
Rold Gold Tiny Twists, Original, Fat-Free, Pretzels
Ingredients:
- Enriched Flour
- Wheat Flour
- Niacin
- Reduced Iron
- Thiamin Mononitrate
- Riboflavin
- Folic Acid
- Salt
- Corn Syrup
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
- Malt Extract
Nutrition Facts:
- 110 Calories in 13 pretzels
- 0g fat
- 450mg sodium
- 23g carbohydrates
- <1g dietary fiber
- 1g sugar
- 3g protein.
Vegan Alternatives
While certain varieties of Rold Gold Pretzels are vegan, here are some alternatives that are vegan as well:
Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels
Snyder’s Snaps are checkerboard-shaped. The original pretzels have the same enriched flour ingredients as Rold Gold, and about the same amount of calories (110 for 11 pretzel squares), but they are fat-free. They also have slightly less sodium. Instead of corn syrup, the sweetening agent is cane sugar. There is canola oil which adds a trivial amount of fat, but not enough to be listed as fat on the nutrition label. Bromelain and soda are additional ingredients. Tapioca Syrup is added to the Malt Extract.
Sourdough Nibblers have the same enriched flour base. The other ingredients are water, salt, yeast, natural flavor, vitamin E for freshness, and soda. These are arguably a little more natural.
Here are the nutrition facts:
- 120 calories for 16 nibblers
- no fat
- 200mg sodium
- 25g carbohydrates
- Less than 1g dietary fiber, and total sugars.
There is very little other nutritional value.
They offer an unsalted version that comes in a bite-size ring shape. The ingredients list is essentially the same as their Snaps version without the Salt. There is a .5g of fat, 1 g of dietary fiber, and 1 g of added sugar.
Snyder’s does have a gluten-free line of pretzels. The Gluten-Free Mini Pretzels vary from the original recipe with these ingredients:
- Corn starch
- Potato starch
- Tapioca starch
- Palm oil
- Cellulose gum
- Salt
- Dextrose
- Baking powder
- Sunflower lecithin
- Yeast
- Citric acid
Nutrition Facts:
- 23 pretzels are 100 calories
- 2g of fat (1g saturated and 1 g monounsaturated)
- 440mg sodium
- 22g carbohydrate
- 1g added sugar.
The pretzels are vegan, but not necessarily better for you.
FitJoy Sea Salt Pretzel Twists
All of FitJoy products are certified vegan. They are also grain-free, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly. They come in several flavors, including Hatch Chile Lime Pretzel Twists, Tangy Dijon Mustard Pretzels, Garlic & Basic Pretzel Twists, Vegan White Cheddar Pretzel Twists, and Sea Salt Pretzel Sticks.
Here are the Ingredients for the Sea Salt Pretzel Twists:
- Cassava flour
- Potato starch
- Chickpea flour
- High oleic sunflower oil
- Tapioca starch
- Chickpea protein
- Salt
- Date nectar
- Yeast
- Sunflower lecithin
Nutrition Facts:
- 120 calories in 20 pretzels
- 3g total fat
- 220mg sodium
- 21g carbohydrates
- 0g fiber
- 0g sugar
From the Ground Up Cauliflower Pretzels
This company is non-GMO verified, certified vegan, and certified gluten-free. In addition to cauliflower sticks pretzels, they also make cauliflower twists pretzels, and butternut squash pretzels.
Here are the ingredients for the Cauliflower Sticks Pretzels:
- Cassava
- Cauliflower
- Non-GMO corn starch
- Non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil
- Vegetable blend (spinach, broccoli, carrot, tomato, beet, shiitake mushroom)
- Yeast
Nutrition Facts:
- 110 calories per 40 sticks
- 1g total fat
- 330mg sodium
- 24g carbohydrates
- 2g dietary fiber
- 1g total sugar
Quinn Pretzel Twists
These pretzels use sorghum flour as their main ingredient. Pretzels are non-GMO verified, certified gluten-free, and a great source of whole grains. Varieties of pretzel snacks include Maple Almond Filled Nuggets, Grain-Free Pepper & Garlic Pretzel Chips, Grain-Free Original Pretzel Chips, Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Nuggets, Peanut Butter Filled Nuggets, and the Classic Sea Salt Twists. These are all vegan!
Ingredients in the Classic Sea Salt Twists:
- Whole grain sorghum flour
- Long grain brown rice flour
- Potato starch
- Tapioca starch
- High oleic sunflower oil
- Organic cane sugar
- Organic apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt
- Xanthan gum
- Sunflower lecithin
- Baking soda
- Vitamin E
Nutrition Facts:
- 110 calories in 1 oz serving
- 3g total fat (2g monounsaturated fat)
- 230mg sodium
- 20g carbohydrates
- 1g dietary fiber
- 1g added sugar
- 1g protein
Homemade Pretzels
To really control the ingredients in your pretzels, you can make your own. There are plenty of recipes on the internet to choose from.
Non-pretzel Alternatives
Dietitians offer these snack alternatives to satisfy your salty yens while letting you control the amount of sodium and fat in your food.
- Homemade popcorn with your own seasoning
- Whole-grain crackers made with gluten-free flours, herbs, nuts, and seeds
- Avocado or cauliflower chips
- Homemade baked sweet potato French fries
- Cauliflower tots
Related Questions
Are Rold Gold Pretzels Vegan?
Rold Gold Original Tiny Twist Pretzels, Rold Gold Rods Pretzels, Rold Gold Sticks, Rold Gold Thins, and Rold Gold Fat-Free Pretzels are vegan. Rold Gold Honey Wheat is not vegan for strict practitioners as it contains honey. Rold Gold Cheddar Pretzels contain cheese cultures, enzymes, milk, and whey and are, therefore, not vegan.
Are Rold Gold Pretzels Gluten-Free?
Rold Gold had a gluten-free pretzel snack at one time, but these are not currently listed on the Frito Lay website. It may have been discontinued, so I would not spend a whole lot of time looking for it. All varieties listed on their website contain wheat flour and are therefore NOT gluten-free.
Snyder’s has a gluten-free option.
Are Rold Gold Pretzels Kosher?
Rold Gold Original Pretzels are certified OU Kosher. OU stands for Orthodox Union and certifies 70% of the world’s kosher products. OU Kosher means it has neither meat nor dairy. The Rold Gold Cheddar Twists are not kosher as they use dairy products.
Do Rold Gold Pretzels have Allergens?
All Rold Gold Pretzels list wheat as an allergen as it is one of the main ingredients. It is not recommended for those who have sensitivities to wheat. Rold Gold Cheddar Twists have milk and wheat listed as allergens.