Labelgrade

← All report cards

We Graded Every Cracker A–F. The “Wheat” Health Halo Did Not Survive.

“Wheat” on a cracker box is one of the great grocery health halos, so we audited it: every popular cracker through the same 6-dimension Labelgrade. The verdict is clean — whole-grain Triscuit, which is essentially just wheat, oil and salt, is the one genuinely-decent cracker on the shelf, while the cheese crackers (Cheez-It, Goldfish) and the buttery Keebler Club are refined-flour C-tier. The pattern never broke: whole grain beats refined flour every single time, and the word 'wheat' alone earns nothing.

The verdict

We graded 7 crackers A–F: the category averages 68/100 (C+), from 74 (B-) at the top down to 60 (C) at the bottom.

Whole-grain Triscuit Original took the top at B- (74); refined-flour Keebler Club Original landed last at C (60), separated by grain quality and fiber rather than taste.

Top of the class B- Triscuit Original Crackers 74/100
Bottom of the class C Keebler Club Original Crackers 60/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Triscuit Original Crackers B- 74/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

#2 Carr's Table Water Crackers Original B- 71/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • No saturated fat

Cons

  • No fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

#3 Wheat Thins Original B- 71/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • 3 g fiber per serving

Cons

  • 200 mg sodium per serving
  • Only 2 g protein per serving

#4 Nabisco Premium Original Saltine Crackers C+ 68/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat

Cons

  • No fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

#5 Goldfish Cheddar Crackers C+ 66/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low saturated fat at 1 g

Cons

  • 250 mg sodium per serving
  • Only 1 g fiber

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 7 crackers, ranked

#CrackerGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Triscuit — Original Crackers B- 74 fiber (30/100)
2 Carr's — Table Water Crackers Original B- 71 fiber (30/100)
3 Wheat Thins — Original B- 71 sodium (33/100)
4 Nabisco — Premium Original Saltine Crackers C+ 68 sodium (23/100)
5 Goldfish — Cheddar Crackers C+ 66 sodium (23/100)
6 Cheez-It — Original Baked Snack Crackers C+ 65 sodium (27/100)
7 Keebler — Club Original Crackers C 60 sodium (20/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Triscuit Original Crackers tops the class at 74/100 (B-); Keebler Club Original Crackers anchors the bottom at 60/100 (C). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

Check price on Amazon

Buy links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Labelgrade is independent of any affiliate relationship. More.

How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cracker scored highest?

Triscuit Original — basically whole wheat, oil and salt — edged out the field at a B-, with Wheat Thins just behind. See the ranked table above for the full order and each cracker’s weakest dimension.

Why did Keebler Club score lowest?

It’s built on refined flour with added fat and little fiber, so it loses on ingredient quality and fiber — two of our six dimensions — without much protein to offset. The cheese crackers land nearby for the same reason: refined base, not much underneath.

Are “wheat” crackers actually healthy?

Only the whole-grain ones earn the halo. A whole-grain cracker like Triscuit brings real fiber and lands a respectable B-; a refined-flour cracker with “wheat” in the name does not, and grades a C. Read the grain, not the marketing — and treat the cheese-flavored ones as a snack.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combine into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number is from the product’s own label, verified against USDA data. Full method on our methodology page.

More report cards

Related