If you told me that I could only have one snack food for the rest of my life, I might choose pretzels.
There’s just something about the simplicity of a good pretzel that I just love. Soft pretzels, crunchy pretzels, pretzel sticks, pretzel nuggets, whatever you’re offering, I will happily accept it.
Now that protein is taking over, it was only a matter of time until it found its way into pretzels.
Protein pretzels have existed for quite some time; in fact, I used to buy a brand called “Kay’s Naturals” in the early 2010s:
125 calories, 12g protein, and 4g fiber is actually very impressive for a filling snack. Unfortunately, Kay’s Naturals was clearly ahead of its time, and the market just wasn’t ready for protein pretzels as a permanent product.
That company no longer exists, but fortunately for us, plenty of other protein pretzels have popped up in its place.
Are any of them actually worth it? I got my hands on 5 different protein pretzel products to find out.
Kindling Power Twists
Kindling has quickly emerged as the go-to brand for protein pretzels, and I can see the appeal.
With 120 calories, 9g of protein, and 3g of fiber, it’s pretty solid for a snack. Notice how these are marketed as “power twists” and not “protein pretzels” as they were called when they originally launched.
Kindling quickly realized that they are better positioned as a well-rounded healthier alternative to regular pretzels rather than a super protein-packed snack, and I think that repositioning was really smart.
As far the flavor, it won’t blow you away, but it’s a satisfying alternative to mini pretzels. If you love snacking on Snyders Pretzels, these will likely serve you well.
For me, I find them to be a bit too bland, but they do eat like regular pretzels. As of this review, I haven’t tried their other flavors, but I am told they are much better.
I can only speak to the regular sea salt pretzels, and they’re pretty good.
Are they worth it? If you get a good deal on them, then yes. I wasn’t blown away by these, but I didn’t mind snacking on these protein pretzels throughout the week, either.
Lenny & Larry’s Fitzels
This is nitpicky, but the name “Fitzels” is horrible. Is it supposed to be a pun? What’s the wordplay here? I understand that it’s fit + pretzels, but… why?
Anyway, right off the bat, Lenny & Larry’s advertises 20 grams of protein on the bag, but that’s assuming you’re eating an entire bag for 400 calories.
I don’t love it when companies do that with their labels, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the makers of the “Complete Cookie” like to make their products sound like better sources of protein than they are.
Fitzels come in a bunch of fancy flavors, but since there is no basic salt flavor, I just chose the pizza flavor to try. The seasoning leaves a lot to be desired, and they certainly don’t nail the flavor the way Legendary Foods did with their chips.
The flavor is dominated by the taste of tomato powder, and the pretzel is far too dry for my liking. Pretzels will always make you thirsty, but I don’t enjoy eating a snack and needing water to get it down.
Are they worth it? No.
I have a full review of Crisp Power Protein Pretzels with a full ranking of their flavors, but here’s the spoiler: I love these.
Each bag has around 200 calories, 28 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber, which makes it the most impressive option out there. The protein comes from wheat, so it’s not a complete protein source, and I know that matters to some people out there.
But if you’re getting protein into your diet from a variety of sources, I wouldn’t stress that part much at all.
These pretzels have the perfect crunch, and the serving size is very generous. Protein snacks (especially protein bars) never seem to fill me up, but I feel legitimately satisfied after I eat these, which is a huge plus for me.
There is a distinct “earthy” flavor to these, but not in a gross pea protein kind of way. I am usually very turned off by earthy flavor, but it doesn’t bother me in these at all. If you’ve never had wheat protein, the flavor might take a little getting used to because it’s slightly different from that of a normal pretzel.
But after eating one bag, I’m willing to bet you’ll adjust just fine.
Are they worth it? Absolutely. The only caveat is if you know you don’t like the taste of wheat protein, then I wouldn’t bother.
Vaughn’s Chocolate Covered Pretzels
The idea of chocolate-covered protein pretzels is very fun, but the execution here is mediocre.
From the ingredients list, it looks like they simply coated regular mini pretzels in protein-infused chocolate, and that’s exactly what it tastes like. The chocolate coating tastes like a combination of protein and sugar substitute, and it has a slight grittiness to it.
Chocolate-covered pretzels are so good because the silky chocolate melts in your mouth, but you don’t get that here. The combination of sweet chocolate and salty pretzel is still there, so it’s still enjoyable in that sense, but the protein chocolate coating leaves a lot to be desired.
With 240 calories and 12 grams of protein, it’s one of the less-impressive options. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, you’re probably better off with a chocolate protein bar with better macros.
Are they worth it? Probably not.
Power Pretzels
I came across Power Pretzels on social media and I really wanted to love them. They talk about the simplicity of their ingredients and how hard they worked to create a protein pretzel that actually tastes like a pretzel, and they certainly look the part.
But man, these pretzels are SO dry. Since the ingredients are simple, they essentially just created regular crunchy pretzels with pea protein added to them.
Had they added a smaller amount of protein, these would probably eat similar to Kindling. But to get these to 23 grams of protein, they added a lot of pea protein, and it shows.
The texture is crunchy, but too crunchy in the same way some protein cereal just destroys your mouth.
It would be quite the challenge to finish this entire bag without taking a sip of water, too. I couldn’t get through a few pretzels before feeling like I needed water.
Are they worth it? No.
Which Protein Pretzels Are Worth it?
If you skipped to the end of this article, first of all: how dare you?
Second of all, here’s the quick summary of which protein pretzels are worth it.
Lenny & Larry’s Fitzels: Very mediocre. Not worth it.
Kinding Power Twists: Won’t blow you away, but gets the job done. Worth it at the right price.
Crisp Power Protein Pretzels: One of my all-time favorite protein snacks. Expensive, but worth trying.
Vaughn’s Chocolate Covered Protein Pretzels: Meh flavor and meh macros. Not worth it.
Power Pretzels: Wayyyy too dry. Not worth it.
If any new protein pretzels find their way onto shelves near me, I’ll be sure to grab a bag and add them to this list!
In the meantime, browse all of my reviews to find some protein snacks that are actually worth it.
