BRAND-NAME RATING

BY JAYNE HURLEY & BONNIE LIEBMAN

how they stack up It’s getting down to crunch time in the cracker aisle. All foods have to include numbers for artery-clogging trans fat on their Nutrition Facts panels by January 1, 2006 (thanks to a 1994 petition to the FDA from our publisher, the Center for Science in the Public Interest). So cracker makers like are slogging through their product lines, removing as much partially hydro- genated oil as possible from each item. (Trans fats are created when manufactur- ers hydrogenate—chemically add hydrogen to—oils to make them more solid.) Meanwhile, books like The South Beach Diet have stirred up an interest in whole grains. Which crackers are whole-grain...and which just pretend to be? Read on.

To some people, snacks are synonymous ■ Kashi TLC (Tasty Little with junk food. They don’t have to be. Crackers) has “Seven A crisp apple or a handful of grape toma- Whole Grains & Sesame,” toes or baby carrots can keep you going says the box. You’d think until dinner and your fruit-and- the crackers, like most vegetable tally to boot. But anything fresh Kashi cereals, contain may take advance planning, a refrigerator, a nothing but whole grain. sink, and a carefully sealed package. In fact, TLCs have more In contrast, crackers can sit patiently until white flour than whole summoned to quell hunger. And if you grains and sesame, which choose the best ones, they can supply is why they’re not an whole grains, fiber, and flavor at little cost Honorable Mention even to your arteries or waistline. though they have two Here’s how to save yourself from vending grams of fiber in a one- machine chips, concession stand candy ounce (30-gram) serving. bars, and coffee shop pastries. Kashi Confusion. The box may (The Country Cheddar say “Seven Whole Grains flavor has no fiber.) & Sesame,” but—unlike most ■ Nabisco Premium Go for Whole Grains Kashi cereals—the crackers are largely white flour. Saltines with Multi Grain are no more than Crackers are meant to be crunchy. So 10 percent multigrain—enough to supply just one gram of they’re a natural fit for whole grains, fiber per serving. which have more texture than their ■ dissolve-in-your-mouth refined cousins. Nabisco , Nabisco Wheatsworth Stone Even if whole grains didn’t cut the risk of Ground Wheat, and Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins heart disease, stroke, diverticulosis, and may sound like they’re whole-grain. But don’t confuse constipation, they’d make a great cracker. “wheat” with “whole wheat.” Except for a little cracked But some whole grains are healthier than wheat (in the Red Oval Thins) or wheat germ and/or whole others. Although they all contain phyto- wheat (in the Nabisco Wheatsworth or Wheat Thins), chemicals that are lost when grains are they’re refined flour. refined, whole wheat and whole rye are What to do? Check the ingredient list. Just make sure fiber-rich, while brown rice is fiber-poor. that you know the code words. Refined white flour is usu- In fact, none of the brown rice crackers we ally called “wheat flour.” It may be enriched or not, found had enough fiber for a Best Bite or bleached or not, and organic or not, but if you don’t see the Honorable Mention (unless they had added words “whole” or “whole grain,” it probably isn’t. Ditto for rice bran). corn, rye, or rice flour. And some labels make it tricky to figure Cracked wheat and rolled oats are whole grains. So is rye out which brands are whole-grain. For or corn meal. Oat, rice, and wheat bran and wheat germ

Photos: PunchStock (left), Nick Waring (all others). example: aren’t quite whole, but they’re just as good (the bran and

12 NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ NOVEMBER 2004 BRAND-NAME RATING

germ are what’s lost when grains are refined). Neither bran An ounce of our Best Bites or Honorable Mentions has no nor germ is likely to be the first ingredient in a cracker, more than 240 mg of sodium (a tenth of a day’s worth). though. There are plenty of them...and they don’t taste bland. Our chart (pp. 14 & 15) narrows the cracker universe to brands that are entirely or partially whole-grain, plus a smat- tering of refined-grain big brands (like Ritz). Best Bites con- The Top Tier tain no refined flour at all and have at least three grams of fiber. Honorable Mentions contain more whole grains than Some of our favorite Best Bites have been hanging around refined flour—that is, the whole-grain flour appears before the cracker aisle for years. Others are new or refurbished. the refined flour in the ingredient list. They have at least Most fall into two categories: two grams of fiber. ■ , etc. Whole wheat and salt. That’s the Limit Saturated and Trans Fat entire ingredient list of Whole Foods 365 Baked Woven Wheats. The tea- Saturated fat is easy. Just spoon or so of oil in a check the label to make serving of Nabisco Tris- sure you’re getting no cuits and Trader Joe’s more than one gram per Woven Wheats Wafers ounce. The only catch: makes them far more some of the largest interesting. brands—Nabisco’s Ritz And Triscuits have had and Wheatsworth, for a makeover. They always example—use a half- were whole-grain (a six- ounce serving (about cracker serving supplies 15 grams). Make sure you three grams of fiber). But double the sat fat number by the time we went to (and the calories, sodium, Oil Change. Nabisco has press, all but the French etc.) on the package to taken the trans fat out of most Onion Thin Crisps and Triscuits. see how much you’re Cheddar varieties had getting in a more-typical shed their partially hydrogenated oil. Serving-Size Tricks. one-ounce serving. That leaves not just the Original, Reduced Fat, and Companies can use either a one- Trans fat is trickier. ounce (30-gram) or half-ounce (somewhat blander) Low Sodium Triscuits, but also the Labels rarely disclose trans (15-gram) serving size. robust Roasted Garlic, onion-infused Garden Herb, shaped- unless it’s zero. (That will The smaller serving makes these for-serious-dipping Thin Crisps, and caraway-seed-rich Deli- change in January 2006, Reduced Fat Ritz look better Style Rye. It’s quite a selection. than Reduced Fat Triscuits. when trans fat labeling They’re not. becomes mandatory.) ■ Crispbreads. Whole- So you have to do a little grain rye crackers—usu- detective work. ally called crispbreads— Check the ingredient list. If you don’t see partially hydro- are loaded with fiber and genated oil, the cracker is trans-free. are often fat-free. The If the cracker has partially hydrogenated oil, odds are it Swedish Wasa line, contains only a negligible amount of trans fat if it has no which ranges from thick more than three grams of total fat and it has zero saturated (Hearty Rye) to a little fat. That’s because hydrogenation boosts both trans and less thick (Light Rye), saturated fat. (Anything below a half gram per serving can seems to be the model be listed as “zero.” It’s too little to worry about unless you for brands like Ry Krisp, eat the whole box.) Ryvita, and Good Real Rye. Whole-rye crackers are Health Quilts Rye rich in fiber, low in sodium...and Crackers. Minimize Sodium delicious. Kavli makes a much thinner, more delicate Crackers taste like they’re high in sodium, and some are. Crispy model, while equally thin Finn Crisp has the most But many taste saltier than they are because the salt is on intense rye flavor of the bunch (with or without caraway the surface, where it’s more likely to register on your taste seeds). buds. An ounce of Nabisco Original Premium Saltines, for example, has 440 milligrams of sodium, roughly the The information for this article was compiled by Tamara Goldis. same as a cup of Wheat Chex cereal. Yet the crackers taste far saltier. ››››

NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ NOVEMBER 2004 13 BRAND-NAME RATING The (grams) Cracker (grams) (grams) Calories Total FatSaturated FiberFat Sodium(milligrams) Barrel ✔✔ Trader Joe’s Woven Wheats Wafers (7) 130503200 Sesmark Brown Rice Thins (15) 120201 90 Best Bites (✔✔) have at least 3 grams Great Value Double Cross (7) 140 5 1* 4 170 of fiber in every ounce, and their only ✔✔ Nabisco Low Sodium (6) 130513 50 ✔✔ flour is whole-grain. Honorable Mentions (✔) have at least 2 Nabisco Garden Herb or Roasted Garlic Triscuit (6)1 120413140 grams of fiber, and whole-grain flour has to be the first flour in ✔✔ Nabisco Deli-Style Rye Triscuit (6) 120213150 the ingredient list. Both have no more than 240 milligrams of Nabisco French Onion Triscuit Thin sodium. Best Bites and Honorable Mentions can contain up to Crisps (15) 130 5 1* 3 160 ✔✔ 1 gram of saturated fat, as long as they list zero trans fat on Nabisco Triscuit Thin Crisps (15) 130513170 ✔✔ Nabisco Original Triscuit (6) 120513180 their labels or they contain no partially hydrogenated oil. Nabisco Cheddar Triscuit (6) 120 5 1* 3 220 Otherwise, they have to be sat-fat-free and can contain no Carr’s Whole Wheat (4) 160 7 1* 2 200 more than 3 grams of total fat. Crackers that may contain San-J Rice Crackers (5-6) 2 130411170 more than a negligible amount of trans fat have an asterisk (*) Part whole-grain or refined next to their saturated fat number. (number of crackers closest to 1 ounce) ✔ 2 Within each section, crackers are ranked from least to most Siljans Crispbread (3) 110006120 ✔ saturated fat, then most to least fiber, then least to Wasa Sourdough Rye (3) 110006140 ✔ Wasa Multi Grain (2) 80004160 most sodium, calories, and total fat. Old London Whole Grain Melba 1 (grams) Toast (5) or Snacks (10) 110104260 (grams) Old London Unsalted Whole Grain Whole-grain Melba Toast (5) 100003 0 (grams) (number of crackers closest to 1 ounce) Calories Total FatSaturated FiberFat Sodium(milligrams) ✔ Health Valley Original Rice Bran ✔✔ Good Health Quilts Light Rye (5) or Crackers (6) 110303 70 Dark Rye (4)1 120007160 ✔ Wasa Soya (3) 90003150 ✔✔ Ry Krisp Light Rye (5) or Natural (4)1 120007160 ✔ Finn Crisp Multigrain (5) 110203230 ✔✔ Kavli Hearty Rye (2) or Hearty Thick (3)1 80106 80 Lavosh Hawaii Ten-Grain (7) 130303300 ✔✔ Wasa Fibre Rye (3) 90306150 Devonsheer Unsalted Wheat Melba ✔✔ Ry Krisp Seasoned or Sesame (4)1 120306170 Toast (5) 100002 0 ✔✔ Ryvita, except Fruit Crunch (3) 2 110005 70 ✔ Nejaime’s Lavasch Sesame Crisp Wafer ✔✔ Kavli 5 Grain (3) or Crispy Thin (6) 1 120005 90 Bread (1) 140402120 ✔✔ Finn Crisp Caraway or Dark Rye (5)1 100005200 Red Oval Farms Lower Sodium Stoned Wheat Thins (4) 120302140 ✔✔ Ryvita Fruit Crunch (2) 100004 0 Old London Wheat Melba Toast (5) 100002180 ✔✔ Wasa Hearty Rye (2) 90004140 ✔ Barbara’s Bakery Wheatines (8) 2 110202200 ✔✔ Wasa Light Rye (4) 100004160 Kashi TLC, except Country Cheddar (16) 2 130302200 ✔✔ ak-mak 100% Whole Wheat Sesame Cracker (5) 120204210 Bremner Caraway (14) 140302210 ✔✔ ak-mak Country Style 100% Whole Wheat Wasa Crisp’n light 7 Grain (6) 120002250 1 Cracker Bread ( /3 square) 120204210 Nabisco Ritz with Whole Wheat (10) 140 5 0* 2 250 ✔✔ ak-mak Old Country Round Whole Wheat 1 Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins (4) 120302280 Cracker Bread ( /6 round) 120204210 SnackWell’s Wheat (10) 140302300 ✔✔ Kavli Crispy Garlic (6) 100204230 Frookie Snack Crackers (12-13) 2 130402390 Health Valley Whole Wheat (13) 130304300 Sesmark Cracked Wheat & Sesame Kavli Crispy Pesto or Southwestern Savory Thins (15) 100201 90 Chili Garlic (6)1 120204520 Sesmark Toasted Onion & Garlic Savory ✔✔ Manischewitz Whole Wheat Matzos (1) 90103 0 Thins (15) 110201 90 ✔✔ Good Health Low Sodium Quilts (8) 120103 80 Carr’s Table Water Crackers (9) 130301180 ✔✔ Nabisco Reduced Fat Triscuit (7) 120303160 Sunshine Krispy Saltines with Whole ✔✔ Good Health Original Quilts (8) 120103170 Wheat (10) 120301220 2 Photo: PunchStock. ✔✔ Whole Foods 365 Baked Woven Wheats (8) 120103170 JJ Flats Breadflats (2) 140 4 0* 1 260

14 NUTRITION ACTION HEALTHLETTER ■ NOVEMBER 2004 HEALTHY COOK

(grams)

(grams)

(grams) Calories Total FatSaturated FiberFat Sodium(milligrams) Whole Foods 365 Golden Stoneground Wheat Thins (4) 120201270 Nabisco Premium Saltines with Multi Grain (11) 130301330 These five dips—from Nutri- Carr’s Stoned Wheat (6) 120301400 Stella D’oro Original Breadsticks (3) 140300120 tion Action’s Tamara Goldis—are Kashi TLC Country Cheddar (18) 130300220 guaranteed to make your crackers come Good Health Multigrain Cracklebred (6) 100000230 alive. Just toss the ingredients into a food processor or blender Nabisco Reduced Fat Ritz (10) 140 4 0* 0 300 and let ’er rip until they’re smooth. Want to scoop them up with Nabisco Original Premium Saltines (10) 140 4 0* 0 440 homemade whole-wheat pita chips? See the Tip of the Month Angonoa’s Mini Whole Wheat Sesame

Breadsticks (24) 130 4 1* 3 220 Illustration: Loel Barr. on the back cover. Annie’s Bite Size Whole Wheat Bunnies (50) 130613250 Wasa Sesame Toast (2) 110312140 Roasted Red Pepper Spread Spinach Tofu Dip ✔ Wasa Oats (2) 100112160 1 7-ounce jar roasted red 2 scallions peppers, drained 2 garlic cloves Keebler Reduced Fat Wheatables (19) 140 4 1* 2 220 2 garlic cloves 1 10-ounce package frozen 1 CäPEACHIO’S Hearty Whole Wheat (8) 140 5 1* 2 240 /2 tsp. lemon juice spinach, thawed 1 Nabisco Low Sodium Wheat Thins (16) 150 6 1* 1 80 /2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1 12-ounce package silken tofu 1 2 Tbs. fresh basil /4 cup grated Parmesan Blue Star Farms Stoned Wheat (8) 140611200 cheese 1 Makes 1 /2 cups (24 Tbs.). 1 Keebler Wheatables, except Reduced /2 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 1 Fat (16-17) 140 6 1* 1 200 PER SERVING (2 Tbs.) /2 tsp. salt Calories: 40 Sodium: 200 mg Good Health Honey Wheat Sesame Makes 3 cups (48 Tbs.). Guppies (45) 120311220 Total Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 5 mg Saturated Fat: 1 g Carbohydrates: 4 g Pepperidge Farm Original Goldfish (55) 140511230 PER SERVING (2 Tbs.) Fiber: 0 g Protein: 1 g Calories: 10 Sodium: 90 mg Nabisco Reduced Fat Wheat Thins (16) 130 4 1* 1 260 Total Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Nabisco Wheat Thins, except Low Sodium Black-eyed Pea Hummus Saturated Fat: 0 g Carbohydrates: 1 g 2 Fiber: 0 g Protein: 2 g or Reduced Fat (14-17) 140 6 1* 1 260 2 15-ounce cans black-eyed Keebler Wheat Toasteds (9) 140 6 1* 1 270 peas, drained and rinsed Walnut Feta Pâté Deli-catessen Original Stoned Wheat 3 garlic cloves Mini Snack Crackers (19) 130 3 1* 1 300 2 Tbs. lemon juice 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 1 tsp. dried cumin /2 cup crumbled feta cheese Kraft Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese 1 1 Nips (31) 130 4 1* 1 310 /4 tsp. salt /2 cup water 1 /4 cup water 1 tsp. paprika Nabisco Wheatsworth Stone Ground 1 1 /4 tsp. cayenne pepper Wheat (9) 140 6 1* 1 310 Makes 2 /4 cups (36 Tbs.). 1 tsp. olive oil 1 Keebler Multigrain Town House Bistro (4) 160 6 1* 1 360 PER SERVING (2 Tbs.) /4 cup fresh parsley Sunshine Original Cheez-It (27) 160 8 2* 1 240 Calories: 30 Sodium: 160 mg Total Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Makes 2 cups (32 Tbs.). Dare Breton Low Fat (7) 140 4 2* 1 270 Saturated Fat: 0 g Carbohydrates: 6 g PER SERVING (2 Tbs.) Fiber: 1 g Protein: 2 g Dare Cabaret (7) 140 4 2* 1 270 Calories: 60 Sodium: 50 mg Kraft Cheddar (29) 150 6 2* 1 340 Total Fat: 6 g Cholesterol: 4 mg Olive Almond Tapenade Saturated Fat: 1 g Carbohydrates: 1 g

Nabisco Ritz (9) 140 7 2* 0 240 1 Fiber: 1 g Protein: 2 g 6 ounces (1 /2 cups) pitted Keebler Original Club (8) 140 6 2* 0 280 Kalamata olives Dare Breton Multi-Grain (5) 120 6 3* 2 280 3 garlic cloves 1 /2 cup slivered almonds Dare Breton Original (7) 150 7 4* 1 280 1 Tbs. dried thyme 2 Tbs. olive oil ✔✔ Best Bite. ✔Honorable Mention. 1Average of the varieties listed. 2Average of the entire line. *May contain more than a negligible amount of Makes 1 cup (16 Tbs.). trans fat. Daily Values (daily limits for a 2,000-calorie diet): Total Fat: 65 grams. PER SERVING (2 Tbs.) Saturated+Trans Fat: 20 grams. Fiber: 25 grams. Sodium: 2,400 milligrams. Calories: 130 Sodium: 350 mg Total Fat: 13 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Source: manufacturers. Saturated Fat: 1 g Carbohydrates: 4 g The use of information from this article for commercial purposes is strictly Fiber: 1 g Protein: 2 g prohibited without written permission from CSPI.

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