Crackers can be an appealing snack, especially since your options for dressing them up with sliced veggies, spreads and condiments are endless!
Crackers can be a good source of whole grains, fiber and protein, and they’re a great option to quell your hunger as an afternoon snack a few hours before dinnertime.
While sugar is often a problem with sweet snacks, crackers are usually low in sugar, but can be high in salts or fats, so remember to take that into account when checking the nutrition label of a cracker box.
I’ve listed several healthy cracker brands I love below, along with my favorite ways to consume them.
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Mary’s Gone Crackers
Mary’s Gone Crackers is a classic in my book—crunchy, full of flavor and organic. These are also gluten free, which makes them a good option for celiacs or for a party, in case you’re not sure of all your guests’ dietary preferences.
These crackers are high in protein (3g per 30g serving) and fiber (3g per 30g serving) due to their whole grain ingredients. The crackers’ composition is always simple and limited to a handful of recognizable ingredients.
I particularly enjoy the black pepper variety of these crackers. They’re so tasty that I sometimes eat them plain, but you can also dress them up with an olive tapenade or thinly sliced veggies on top.
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Wasa Crispbreads, variety: Light Rye
Wasa crackers are the royalty of crackers, in the sense that they have it all—a large surface space to spread your toppings, sturdy so they won’t collapse and crunchy! These crackers are quite high in fiber (4g per 2 slices/18g). They are also fat free and very low in salt, coming in at 65mg of sodium per 14 g serving. In fact, they only contain two ingredients: whole grain rye flour and salt.
I don’t find Wasa crackers particularly flavorful and wouldn’t want to eat them plain. This can be a plus, though, when adding toppings, as the cracker won’t overpower the toppings and lets the toppings shine. That’s why I consider Wasa to be a kind of blank palette, upon which you can paint a rainbow of colors. You can also eat them as an accompaniment to meals or crumble them on top of soup or salad to add some crunch.
One spread I particularly love to make and have on hand is to take a jar of cooked kidney beans and blend it with red bell pepper and a bit of cumin powder. This is extremely quick and easy to make, and adds even more protein and fiber to your snack from the kidney beans.
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Le Pain des Fleurs – variety Buckwheat
Le Pain des Fleurs is a lightweight cracker bursting with the nutty, complex flavor of buckwheat. These crackers are gluten free and organic and hail from France.
They are an excellent option if you’re looking for a cracker that’s not too high in calories per serving (70 calories per 18g serving) and low fat (.5g per 18g serving). I also appreciate that they contain only three ingredients—buckwheat flour, sea salt and sugar (less than 1g per 18g serving).
Le Pain des Fleurs has a variety of options aside from buckwheat, including chestnut and quinoa. They are delicious served with a spread of nut butter, 100% fruit spread or another topping of your choice. I personally love the taste, but its unique taste might not be suited to everyone.
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6-Seed Multi-Grain Crunchmaster Crackers
These crackers stay true to their name with their crunchy, snackable quality! They are also very healthful, with a good amount of protein (3g per 30g serving) and fiber (2g per 30g serving). They also contain low amounts of sodium, and are gluten free and non-GMO, with grains that are 100% whole grains.
I enjoy Crunchmaster’s unique taste, to which the tamari soy sauce in the crackers contributes. Their hexagonal shape is pleasing to the eye, and because they’re not very large, a serving is composed of 14 crackers. This gives you more than a baker’s dozen of crackers to top with unique additions!
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Final Thoughts
The sky’s the limit when choosing a healthy topping! Different veggie combinations, fresh herbs or a sprinkling of nutritional yeast can transform a plain cracker into an exciting snack. This makes crackers a great option for breaking out of a rut and limiting sweet snacks in favor of savory, whole grain snacks. A good tip when consuming crackers is to choose your serving size ahead of time and place it in a bowl or plate so you don’t end up eating way past your point of satiety by accident. For more information about types of whole grains and their benefits, I recommend Julie Harrington, RD’s post. Hope you enjoy your healthy whole grain crackers as part of a nutrient-rich diet!
Have questions? Comments? I would love to hear what you think below!
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