For a gaming session with no prep, ready-to-eat salted pretzels or pretzel sticks are the obvious choice. If you have time to use the oven before playing and fancy warm pretzels, you can bake dough pieces instead. For both options, compare the salt content per 100 g with the portion you actually plan to eat. If you need gluten-free or wheat-free products, also check the labelling and any other allergen information on the specific pack.
If you’re not planning an oven break, ready-to-eat salted pretzels are a good option. EDEKA and ALDI SÜD, for example, offer bags containing 250 g each. Putting your chosen portion in a bowl beforehand makes it easier to keep track of how much you’re having.
For warm soft pretzels, you can bake frozen dough pieces before playing. The products from REWE Beste Wahl described here come with the pretzel salt in a separate sachet, but you’ll still need to allow time for thawing and baking.
Classic pretzels may contain wheat. REWE labels Schär Salinis as gluten-free and wheat-free, but the product contains soya lecithin and may contain traces of sesame. Always check the information on the specific pack you buy.
First decide whether you want pretzels that are ready to eat or whether you have time to bake before your session. Then compare the salt, ingredient and allergen information for each product.
| What matters to you | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Snacking without interrupting your game | Choose ready-to-eat pretzels rather than dough pieces; check the pack size and the portion you want. | If I don’t want to go to the oven during a session, I want a snack that’s ready to eat. Around 29% of consumers prioritise being able to eat their snack straight away. |
| Freshly baked soft pretzels | Check the baking instructions, time required and whether pretzel salt is included separately. | I’d rather prepare warm pretzels before playing and can set aside time to use the oven. This is the priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Checking ingredients and salt | Check the salt per 100 g, as well as the ingredients, labels and precautionary allergen information on the pack. | If I need to avoid wheat or other ingredients, or want to keep an eye on how much salt I’m having, the specific product labelling determines my choice. Around 42% of consumers put these checks first. |
With some dough pieces, you can leave out or limit the salt supplied separately. But that alone doesn’t tell you the overall salt content of the pretzels. Even a claim such as “without pretzel salt” can give a misleading impression, according to the Verbraucherzentrale NRW.
Compare the salt per 100 g and check whether the nutrition information applies to pretzels with or without the separately supplied salt.
Frozen pretzel dough pieces need to be baked in an oven according to the pack instructions. If you don’t have time before your gaming session, they won’t serve the same purpose as a ready-to-eat bagged snack.
Check the baking steps before you buy, and prepare the pretzels before playing if you don’t want to take a break during your session.
According to REWE, Schär Salinis are gluten-free and wheat-free, but they contain soya lecithin and may contain traces of sesame. A label for one specific ingredient doesn’t remove the need to check the rest.
For every product, read the ingredients list and precautionary allergen information on the pack.
The salt per 100 g doesn’t automatically tell you how much salt you’ll eat while gaming. EDEKA and ALDI SÜD state that their salted pretzels described here each come in a 250 g pack and contain 4.4 g of salt per 100 g.
Before your session, put the amount you want in a bowl and use that portion to work out how much salt you’ll have.
Ditsch offers, among other things, ready-baked soft pretzels and dough pieces to bake at home.
The EDEKA products described include ready-to-eat salted pretzels and XXL soft pretzels to bake at home.
SUNSNACKS salted pretzels are described as a ready-to-eat snack in a 250 g pack.
The products described include frozen soft pretzels and a mini soft pretzel mix to bake at home.
REWE labels Schär Salinis as a gluten-free and wheat-free salted pretzel option.
This selection includes ready-to-eat pretzel snacks alongside dough pieces to bake at home. The chocolate-coated pretzels offer a sweet-and-salty option, which is worth bearing in mind if you’re looking for an exclusively savoury selection.
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A handy option for snacking without an oven break. The pack contains 250 g. Set aside a portion for your session, and check the salt and allergen information on the pack.
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A ready-to-eat snack in a 100 g pack. Before buying, check the product form on the packaging: the product information available uses both “Pretzel Bites” and “Pausen-Cracker”.
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For warm soft pretzels, if you have access to an oven before playing. The frozen dough pieces need to be baked through, so allow for the stated baking time of 15–16 minutes. When comparing salt, check what the nutritional information refers to when the supplied rock salt is used.
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A sweet-and-salty option if you fancy chocolate-coated pretzels rather than a purely savoury snack. The pack contains 140 g. Check the ingredients and allergen information when choosing.
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A crunchy snack you can enjoy without any preparation. The pack contains 200 g. If salt content is important to your choice, compare the per-100 g figure on the pack.
First compare the salt per 100 g, then work out how much that means for the portion you want to eat. Ditsch gives the salt content of its classic soft pretzel as 2.05 g per 100 g, while EDEKA and ALDI SÜD each state 4.4 g per 100 g for the salted pretzels described here. These figures apply to individual products, not to all pretzels of that type. For products you bake at home, also check what the nutritional information refers to.
No. A gluten-free label doesn’t cover other ingredients or possible traces. According to REWE, Schär Salinis are gluten-free and wheat-free, but they contain soya lecithin and may contain traces of sesame. So always read the full information on the specific pack.
Frozen soft pretzels are a good choice if you have time and access to an oven before playing. REWE Beste Wahl gives a baking time of around 15–16 minutes for the mini soft pretzel mix described here; the pretzel salt is supplied separately. Follow the instructions on the product you buy for the exact preparation steps.
Use the product page to narrow down your options, then check the information on the pack you buy. EDEKA notes that details for the products described may vary, while ALDI SÜD says that using different suppliers may account for variations in the nutritional information for its salted pretzels.