Trade-Up Tuesday: Crackers!
It’s Trade-Up Tuesday and today I’m giving away some of the NuVal Rock Stars in the Cracker Category. I have to admit, I’m a little worried that y’all might not be too excited about crackers. I mean if Ernie (from Sesame Street) like cookies, his best friend Bert is the cracker guy. But you Bloggies prove me wrong all the time, so maybe this will be a big GiveAway after all.
Personally, I am a Cracker girl. I always crave something a little crunchy and a little salty, especially in those late-afternoon hours, when dinner is still a while away. Also, as a mom, I have the difficult challenge of packing shelf-stable snacks in my son’s backpack that he will eat at about 2 pm in his first grade classroom. Crackers are lightweight, portable, and they don’t get all brown & mushy (like sliced apples).
Crackers score between 1 and 91 on the NuVal scale. That is a wide range! But the median score for Crackers (1/2 score above it, 1/2 score below it) is only a 14. My kids like Cheez Its, which score a 13 on the NuVal scale. So, I set that as my low bar. When looking for a “better than average” cracker, I’ll often ask myself, “Is it better than a Cheez It?”
My kids will eat Wheat Thins and Triscuits, so those are great choices. Wheat Thins score a 24 on the NuVal scale. Surprisingly, 100% Whole Grain Wheat Thins only get a 1 point improvement – to a 25. Who knew? Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits score a 32.
For a real cracker Powerhouse, I turn to Ryvita Rye and Oat Bran crackers. They get a NuVal score of 87! I spread a little hummus on them and enjoy them with a salad for lunch. Interestingly, when I’m snacking on some Ryvita & hummus, my kids will ask for some too. And they will eat them! So much better than a Cheez It.
Today’s GiveAway
As I said, I’m worried that you all might be yawning over the idea of winning some crackers, so I’m also throwing in a NuVal t-shirt. They are awesome! Just leave me a comment below, telling me one Cracker score you find interesting or suprising. Cracker scores are right here.
I’ll select one lucky winner at random. The contest closes at 11:59 PM Eastern time tonight. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa 44 comments
Posted in: Crackers, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Crackers, wheat thins
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:30 am
Hi Melissa,
Wow, wish we had NuVal in Florida! I am definitely going to try the Ryvita Rye and Oat Bran crackers. I eat Wasa Crisp Bread (Light Rye – my favorite) on the recommendation of the dietitian of for my weight management program, I would be curious how those score!
Thanks for the great info you share!
Lisa
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:31 am
I LOVE crackers! I always knew Trisuits were healthier than Wheat Thins.
But dang, I didn’t know that the reduced fat Cheez Its (score 23) would score so much higher than the original Cheez Its, and even come close to Wheat Thins!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:41 am
I’d love to try the Ryvita crackers.
I’m curious what Mary’s Crackers score.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:58 am
Those Ryvitas look great, no idea they were so healthy!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:58 am
Definitely surprising scores for Wheat Thins!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:58 am
Hmmm, this is really interesting, wish I had Nuval in my state, it would help me at the store
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 8:03 am
Crackers aren’t boring!!! Though a t shirt is always appreciated, great info!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 8:14 am
Awesome givewaway, can’t believe how high the Ryvita scores!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 8:34 am
I was suprised by the Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits score of 32. I usually think that flavored crackers are unhealthy!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 8:37 am
Those Ryvita scores are amazing, I’m definitely gonna trade up
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 9:11 am
Why do the whole wheat wheat thins score only 1 pt higher?!?
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 9:27 am
I found it very interesting that the Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits scored so much higher than the other Triscuits.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 am
Kashi TLC Mediterranean Bruschetta Snack Cracker = 30 points. The high scoring crackers all seem to have pretty high fiber amounts, no?
And crackers are NOT boring!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 9:39 am
I’m a cracker freak as well. I find it interesting that CheezIts (my kids favs as well) scored a 13..I thought it would be much lower.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 9:45 am
I thought it was interesting that the Keebler Town House FlipSides Pretzel Crackers and the Keebler Townhouse Bistro Multi Grain crackers both scored the same (14).
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 9:59 am
Wow! The Austins score a 4! I guess that’s not too surprising, I just wish it weren’t true
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:08 am
I’m surprised that the Rosemary & Olive Oil flavor of Triscuits scored higher than the other types of Triscuits! And a little happy, since those are so tasty!
I’m definitely going to look for the Ryvita Rye and Oat Bran crackers though, a rating of 87 is amazing!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:10 am
not surprised that Ritz bits cheese sandwiches score so low…I always felt like I was eating powered cheese as a kid and couldn’t stomach them! Those Ryvita crackers have an awesome score though, so much higher than everything else!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:11 am
Elisa asked a GREAT question. Why do the 100% Whole Grain Wheat Thins score only 1 point higher? I checked in with Rachel Rodek, RD, MS, LDN and NuVal’s Manager of Nutrition Communications had this answer:
“A good determinant of “whole grain” goodness is fiber content. After all, if you’re using the entire grain (the whole grain), then the hard outer layer, or bran, is included – which is where most of the fiber is located. The 100% Whole Grain Baked Wheat Thins (Scoring a 25) only have 1 more gram of fiber than the regular Wheat Thins (2g vs 1g, respectively). What’s more is that the company added more sodium to the whole grain cracker, dampening the potential rise in the score. For these reasons, the Whole Grain What Thin only scores 1 point higher.”
See. That’s why we need NuVal everywhere.
Melissa
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
Wow … Wheat Thins barely score better than pretzel Goldfish and reduced fat Cheez-Its?! THAT is a shocker. (Similarly, I was baffled when I noticed at Meijer last week that 2% milk cheese barely scored better than full-fat cheese. Guess what? I went for the full fat so I could get sharp cheddar instead of mild [the only variety that came in 2%] since it wasn’t that big of a difference!)
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:29 am
I also eat the Wasa crackers, mostly with a schmear of homemade pumpkin hummus. I don’t know how the Multi Grain Crispbread stack up nutritionally but they have an amazing CRUNCH! I like Triscuits too but it’s easy to eat way more than one serving…ooops!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:48 am
I would love to try Ryvita Crackers….especially their score!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 11:01 am
I’m actually suprised the All-Bran crackers score a 35. But I’m happy the Wheat Thins aren’t too bad – I have a bit of an addiction to them!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 11:04 am
I’m surprised that keebler’s flipsides and multigrain’s get the same score! I’m definitely interested in trying those Ryvita crackers now though.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 11:04 am
Wow, I was suprised the Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits scored higher than any other flavor of Triscuits. I am curious to know why that is!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 11:06 am
Crackers are definately not boring in my book
They are almost always my “go-to” for snacking, especially during the mid afternoon lull. I’m glad the All-bran crackers are included in the list, and I too was a bit surprised by their score. I think sometimes I shy away from the products that are “brandy” such as Kellogg’s making a cracker, but I think I may have to try them!! I also love that you gave the idea of the Rye crackers…sometimes I get in the groove of eating the same thing, it would be great to try something new!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 11:48 am
I’m surprised at the difference between the highest scoring cracker
Ryvita Rye and Oat Bran crackers at 87 and its runner up is Kellogg’s All-Bran Crackers Bite-Size Baked Snacks Garlic Herb 35, that is 52 points between the highest and second highest. Also I love crackers, so I would love to try the Ryvita Rye and Oat Bran crackers.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 11:51 am
I am surprised that Keebler Town House FlipSides Pretzel Crackers Original is so low!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 12:13 pm
I’m pleasantly surprised that the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish pretzels score a 20. I was thinking that they would rate around the 14 average just because I couldn’t imagine how “nutritious” they would be. I’m also happy that Triscuits score fairly high since I’m a big fan of them!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Wow the Ryvita Rye and Oat Bran crackers scored an 87! Now I really do want to try them, they sound delicious and much more nutritious than most crackers!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
I really like Ryvita, but I always forget about them.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 1:16 pm
mmm oat bran crackers? that’s awesome!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
I’m surprised that the Kashi TLC Cracker only score a 35! I though it would have been higher…
I’ll definitely give the Ryvita cracker a try!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 2:19 pm
I’m shocked that any cracker could score as high as an 87! (ryvita) But I’m glad to see my favorite Kashi TLC crackers are above average. I’m with you – I love a few crackers as an afternoon snack!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I’m definitely going to have to try that cracker! Great info!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Those Ryvitas look great, they sound delicious!
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 6:52 pm
I guess I am surprised the annies crackers didn’t get a higher score. See that the are whole wheat and annies is organic, right? What makes them not at the top of the list?
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
I would like to try the stellar Ryvita crackers! Glad to see that Triscuits have a decent score.
on Feb 23rd, 2010 at 10:49 pm
I grew up eating Kashi so I was pretty surprised that the TLC Med Bruschetta crackers got a 30…better than some but I guess not as good as the Ryvita!
on Feb 24th, 2010 at 9:31 am
For Lisa, the first commenter that wants NuVal available in stores in Florida, go to http://nuval.com/Location to make a request. Melissa,have you (or your kids) tried the 40% Reduced Fat version of Cheez-its(NuVal score of 21 — beats the 13 for regular)?
on Feb 24th, 2010 at 9:34 am
I’ll definitely try the Ryvita crackers. Thanks for the suggestion. My kids fortunately love Stoned Wheat Thins. You don’t have a NuVal score for them but I am hoping they rank pretty high!
on Feb 24th, 2010 at 10:39 am
I thought the Kashi brand would be higher. Although, thinking about it, Kashi products are typically high in fiber and protein, but lack nutrients. I have never tried Ryvita, but am impressed with the high score and I imagine would be great with a Laughing Cow cheese wedge!
on Feb 25th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Whoa.. Ryvita Crispbreads score so high! I would have though Kashi would have a higher score than that.. hm. It really makes you think about what you think is good and what’s actually in your food.
on Feb 27th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
How do you take into account trans fat, when they say 0 trans fat, but yet the ingredient list shows partially hydrogenated ……? I don’t see any general recommendation like, only eat foods that have a score of 50 or higher. Is 30 so bad that it is hurting your body?