Healthy Snacking: How to Choose Healthy Crackers

Eating nutritious snacks throughout the day helps keep you feeling energized and supports weight control. When it comes to healthy snacks, crackers might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But, when you choose the right ones, they can actually be a healthy and nutritious snack for you and your family.

Crackers are a great grab-and-go snack and can provide energy and essential nutrients. Plus, they’re a great source of fibre which can help keep you full and satisfied for longer. So, if you’re looking for a something to nibble on to be part of your healthy eating, crackers should definitely be on your list. But, how do you make sure you’re choosing the healthiest?

Make Sure It’s Made With Whole Grains

Crackers made with whole grains contain more fibre, which is one of its main advantages. When the fibre-containing sections of the grain are removed during the refining process, only the starchy endosperm is left in white flour-based crackers. Multigrain crackers made from whole grains contain all three parts of the grain, including the nutritious bran.

Consuming a diet high in fibre lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Fibre treats constipation by softening your stool to make it easier to pass. The average Australian consumes less fibre than the daily recommended 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. The amount of fibre in multi-grain crackers varies from brand to brand, hence, to pick a healthy cracker that can help you meet your recommended fibre consumption, it’s important to examine the nutrition label.

Look for Added Nutrition

Nowadays, it’s easy to find a cracker healthy packed with vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, and B vitamins from natural ingredients. All while lacking nasties such as preservatives, artificial colours and flavours. B vitamins work as a group to assist you to get energy from food by transforming the nutrients into fuel that will keep you running all day. Vitamins B3 and B1 aid with hunger control while supporting your nervous system and maintaining good skin. Vitamin B6 helps your body produce healthy red blood cells.

Multi-grain crackers enriched with iron can assist you to produce healthy red blood cells, which your body needs to carry oxygen. Moreover, iron aids in the generation of energy, plays a role in DNA synthesis, a crucial aspect of cell growth, and helps your muscle cells store oxygen for later use. Serving your multi-grain crackers with fruits and vegetables can help you get the most out of them since the vitamin C in these foods aids in the absorption of the iron from the crackers.

Avoid Added Sugars

You could believe that salty foods don’t have any added sugar. Yet, sweeteners are frequently included in savoury manufactured meals. Typically added sugars found in crackers and other snack foods include sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, and dextrose. Many crackers are made with added sugars, which can contribute to weight gain and other health issues. So, avoid crackers that contain added sugars and instead get cracker healthy in the composition.

Make Sure it Contains Low Amounts of Sodium

Almost all processed foods contain some form of sodium, whether it comes from salt or other dietary additives. Salt is added to products to improve flavour and simplify manufacture. According to research, more than 90% of us ingest too much salt every day. Excess salt intake has been linked to high blood pressure, an increased risk of CVD, renal damage, heart and artery fibrosis, and stomach cancer. So, seek out crackers with a reduced salt concentration.

Keep an Eye on Fat Content

As long as it’s good fat, people who need to gain weight or find it difficult to maintain weight can eat a lot of it. Low-fat healthy crackers are a far better option for anyone trying to lose weight. Although the majority of crackers available are 20-30% fat, you can also find options containing less than 10% fat.

Tips to Eat Healthy Crackers Mindfully

It might be beneficial to practice mindful or intuitive eating if you enjoy cracker snacks. This includes both properly keeping your snack items and taking the time to savour each bite.

Mind Where You Store Your Crackers

If you store your crackers on the counter, you are more likely to grab them when you need a snack even if they might not be on your list of options. You are more inclined to think about whether a piece of fruit or some fresh vegetables could seem like a better option if your crackers are put away.

Keep Your Crackers in Their Original Packaging

When you discard the original packaging after removing food from it, the nutrition Information label is lost. Maintaining crackers in their original packaging makes it simple to determine the serving size and fibre content, for instance. Foods should be kept in the original packaging, sealed in a plastic bag if you want to keep them fresher.

Enjoy Your Cracker

Last but not least, when you decide to have a cracker snack, arrange them on a platter with your preferred healthy topping and eat one serving. Enjoy the tastes and textures of the crackers by chewing carefully. Making your snack a memorable experience encourages enjoyment, which is an important element of choosing the right snack.