Smart Snacking

Question: "Are pretzels really a healthy snack?" —Karla S., via e-mail

Answer: Compared to a piece of fruit and handful of nuts, or cheese and whole-grain crackers, no. Compared to a trans-fat-filled, high-caloric snack cake with "crème" filling and frosting, pretzels are nutritional manna, especially if you're at a vending machine, where pretzels may be the lesser of many evils. The biggest rub is that a 1-ounce serving of pretzels has 110 calories and 450 milligrams sodium (about one-fifth of your daily allotment!). Choose low-salt or unsalted multigrain and whole grain versions for the biggest nutrition boost.

Find our Taste Test winners for the best pretzels.