Pretzel sticks

They’re good for dipping into hummus, mustard, cream cheese or a thick salsa. You can also crumble them over soup or use them as a crunchy coating for baked fish or chicken.

Seal them in an airtight tin or packet and keep them in a cool, dry cupboard. If they go soft, spread them on a baking tray and warm them at 150 °C for about 5 minutes, then let them cool before sealing.

They’re very similar crunchy, baked snacks, and recipes vary. Per 100 g, salted sticks have 384 kcal, 5.7 g fat and 6 g fibre; pretzel sticks have 382 kcal, 5.3 g fat and 4.2 g fibre.

The dough is shaped into thin sticks, sometimes dipped in an alkaline solution, then baked until dry and crisp. The alkaline treatment helps give pretzel-style baked goods their distinctive brown colour and flavour.

Breadsticks, savoury crackers or vegetable batons all work. For a similarly crisp, salty snack, choose plain breadsticks; for a lighter crunch with a dip, try carrot or cucumber sticks.

Hard, crunchy sticks can be a choking hazard for young children, so avoid giving them whole to toddlers. Choose a softer snack and supervise children while they eat.

Most are made with wheat flour, so they contain wheat and gluten. If you need to avoid either, choose a clearly labelled alternative made without wheat.