Labels: Cheez-It vs Triscuit

Do you read labels on the food you buy? You should, there is a lot of information there. As an example let's compare two snack cracker labels: Big Cheez-It and Triscuit Rosemary & Olive Oil. In what follows I will always list the Cheez-It number first followed by the Triscuit number.

First the serving size is 30 grams vs. 28g. About the same. Since Cheez-Its are smaller we are comparing 13 of them to 6 Triscuits. These are small serving sizes, most people we know like to eat more than that if they get a chance. 150 calories doesn't seem that much more than 120 but the difference is in fat calories. Cheez-Its has 70 calories from fat while Triscuit has 35. Score 1 for Triscuit.

Neither has Trans Fat. Frankly it is hard to find Trans Fat any more. That is great news! It shows the manufacturers are responding to some combination of scientific evidence, consumer demand and government regulation. Tie.

Cheez-Its has 8 grams of Fat with 2 of them being Saturated which is the worst kind of fat outside of Trans Fat. Triscuit manages to keep Saturated fat to 1/2g. Cheez-It has more of good fats too, 3.5g Poly and 2g Mono with Triscuit at 2.5g and 1g. Neither has any cholesterol. The harm cause by Saturated fat outweighs the benefit of Poly and Mono unsaturated fats so score another for Triscuit.

Cheez-It has 250mg Sodium which is almost twice as much as the 130mg in Triscuit. Cheez-It has no Potassium while Triscuit has 110mg which is 3% of the recommended daily value. Both Sodium and Potassium are necessary nutrients. It is very easy to get too much Sodium and sometimes hard to get enough Potassium. Triscuit likely has an edge here.

Cheez-Its have 17g Carbohydrates compared to 20g for Triscuit. Fiber is <1g vs. 3g which makes the products equal in digestible carbs. Fiber is very good so advantage Triscuit.

Protein is 3g each so a tie there.

Cheez-Its have 2% Vitamin A, 4% Calcium and 6% Iron with Triscuit containing 8% Iron and 10% Phosphorus daily requirement. These are small amounts but many of us don't get enough Calcium so advantage Cheez-It.

The ingredients section at the bottom is always telling. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity used. Cheez-Its is mostly made from enriched flour. This is a highly processed wheat flour with the bran and germ removed and some vitamins added. Triscuit uses whole grain wheat flour. The whole wheat explains Triscuit's better fiber numbers. Both use soybean oil but Cheez-Its also uses the less desirable Palm oil. These main ingredients are followed by salt, flavorings and preservatives with Cheez-Its having a longer list of unpronounceable ingredients. Score a big one for Triscuit.

Triscuit is the clear winner here. The use of whole grains with lower fat and salt and better oils creates a healthier snack that is likely to fill you up for longer.

bon appetit!
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