Goldfish Cheddar Crackers: 3g Protein per Amount per serving, Labelgrade C+
C+ 65 / 100 — Effectively zero sugar and high sodium per 100g.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Goldfish Cheddar Crackers delivers 3g of protein and 140 calories per Amount per serving (USDA FDC 2732705). Per 100g that’s 10g of protein; per oz, 2.8g. The Labelgrade is C+ (65 / 100): Effectively zero sugar and high sodium per 100g.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C+ | 65 / 100 | 10g per 100g — moderate; the per-serving total matters more than the per-unit density |
| Ingredient quality | C+ | 66 / 100 | 23 ingredients; flagged phosphate additives |
| Saturated fat load | B | 78 / 100 | 0.999g per serving (3.3g per 100g) — moderate |
| Sodium load | F | 23 / 100 | 250mg per serving (236mg per oz) — high; structural for cured/preserved foods |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g of sugar — perfect |
| Fiber | D | 53 / 100 | 0.99g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | C+ | 65 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 25% · ingredients 22% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 12% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfish Cheddar Crackers (this product) | 3g | 10g | 2.8g | 140 |
| Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers | 3g | 10g | 2.8g | 150 |
| Triscuit Original Crackers | 3g | 10.7g | 3g | 120 |
| Pirate’S Booty Aged White Cheddar | 2g | 7.1g | 2g | 130 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
”Made with real cheese” — what the marketing leaves out
Goldfish has built a generation of brand loyalty on three words stamped across the carton: made with real cheese. It’s true, and it’s also doing a lot of quiet work. The cheddar is genuine, but the ingredient order tells the fuller story — enriched wheat flour comes first, cheese second, oil after that. This is a refined-flour cracker that has been flavored with real cheese, not a cheese snack that happens to contain flour. The distinction matters because shoppers read “real cheese” as “wholesome,” when the panel says you’re mostly eating refined carbohydrate. The cheese is what makes Goldfish taste good; it is not what makes them good for you, and the 3g of protein per serving confirms it.
It edges Cheez-It, but it’s the same conversation
On paper Goldfish (C+, 65) sits one point above Cheez-It (C, 64), and it’s worth being clear about how small that gap is. Goldfish carries slightly less saturated fat, which is the main reason it nudges ahead. But it also runs higher on sodium — 250mg per serving versus Cheez-It’s 230mg — and its ingredient panel picks up a phosphate flag that drops its ingredient-quality grade to a C+. So this isn’t a “better cracker” so much as a near-tie between two refined-flour cheese snacks. If you’re choosing between the two on nutrition alone, the single-point difference is noise; pick on taste, and watch the portion either way. The genuinely better choice is to step outside the cheese-cracker category entirely (see the comparison below).
Scope
This page covers Goldfish Cheddar Crackers (6.6 ONZ), UPC 00014100085478, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2732705. Goldfish sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
MADE WITH SMILES AND ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), CHEDDAR CHEESE ([CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES], ANNATTO), VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA, SOYBEAN AND/OR SUNFLOWER), SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: YEAST, SUGAR, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, PAPRIKA, SPICES, CELERY, ONION POWDER, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA. CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · Amount per serving
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (Amount per serving) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 140 |
| Protein | 3g |
| Total Fat | 5g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.999g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 20g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.99g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Added Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 250mg |
| Cholesterol | 5.1mg |
| Calcium | 30mg |
| Iron | 1.3mg |
| Potassium | 50.1mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Cheddar Crackers (6.6 ONZ) · UPC 00014100085478. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Goldfish crackers healthy?
They're a fine occasional snack, but don't mistake them for nutrition. Goldfish are made on enriched (refined) wheat flour with just 3g of protein and 250mg of sodium per serving. They're baked rather than fried and carry no sugar, which is genuinely better than a lot of snacks — but the base is still refined flour. For a lunchbox treat that's fine; as an everyday food it doesn't earn its keep.
Why does Goldfish only score a C+?
It's held back by the same things as most cheese crackers: a refined-flour base, high sodium at 250mg per serving (an F on that dimension), and an ingredient panel that picks up a flag for added phosphates. What keeps it just above a C is reasonably low saturated fat and zero sugar. The net is a C+ (65/100) — a hair above Cheez-It, not a different league.
Goldfish are 'made with real cheese' — does that make them a good snack for kids?
The cheese is real, but it's a flavoring, not the foundation — enriched flour is the first ingredient, cheddar comes after. For a child that means Goldfish are a tasty, low-sugar cracker, not a meaningful source of protein or calcium. They're a perfectly reasonable sometimes-snack; just pair them with something that actually carries protein (cheese, yogurt, a hard-boiled egg) rather than relying on the bag to do nutritional work.
How much is one serving of Goldfish?
A serving is 30g (about 55 crackers, 140 calories). It pours out fast, and a typical grab from the carton runs well past one serving — at which point the 250mg of sodium doubles toward 500mg. For kids especially, portioning into a small cup beats handing over the open bag.
What's a better-graded cracker to reach for instead?
Triscuit Original (Labelgrade B-, 73/100) is the cleaner pick in the same aisle: whole-grain wheat, oil, and salt, with real fiber and a shorter list. It won't taste like cheddar, but if you want a cracker that does more nutritional work, it's the honest upgrade from Goldfish.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2732705. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days of a reformulation.