Snacks make up about 20% of the average American’s daily calorie intake, yet our choices aren’t always the healthiest. Popular culture is full of conflicting messages about snacking, and while there’s no shortage of choices, we often gravitate toward chips, cookies, and other highly tasty, energy-dense treats. But snacks don’t have to be unhealthy.
If you’re looking for a better alternative, the cracker section might catch your eye. With their salty, savory and crunchy flavor, crackers are a filling snack and generally contain less fat than chips. Among them, Ritz Crackers are a timeless favorite – a little salty, a little buttery and slightly sweet. While they might not win the award for healthiest choice, they’re an affordable snack that fits into a balanced diet.
But are Ritz Crackers really healthy? As a nutritionist, I looked into their nutritional values and ingredients to see how they rank as a healthy snack choice.
What are Ritz Crackers? History & Ingredients
Ritz Crackers have been a popular snack for nearly 100 years. They were originally developed in the 1930s as an “affordable luxury” during the Great Depression. The name “Ritz” was intended to convey a sense of luxury and was short for Ritzy.
Known for their smooth, buttery flavor and round, golden shape, Ritz Crackers are a versatile food that pairs well with cheese, peanut butter, or dips, making them a popular choice for snacking. They even work well as a crust for mini pizzas, a topping for casseroles, and a breading for chicken.
Although Ritz Crackers are a processed food, the ingredient list may be shorter than you expect, but it does contain some components that you may want to limit in your diet.
The first ingredient is unbleached, enriched flour, meaning it contains additional vitamins and minerals. This is followed by oils such as soy, canola and palm oil, which give the crackers their characteristic buttery flavor. Palm oil, a saturated fat commonly used in highly processed foods, helps improve flavor and texture. Although it is used in place of trans fats, which were banned by the FDA in 2018 due to their negative effects on cholesterol, there is still debate about whether palm oil is a healthier alternative. Research, including a review published in 2021, Nutritional valuessuggests that palm oil increases both LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol).
Although Ritz Crackers are more salty than sweet, they contain two sweeteners: sugar and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is a processed sugar that has been linked to increased inflammation and potential health problems such as obesity and metabolic syndrome.
The ingredients list also includes salt, baking powder, soy lecithin and natural flavors. Soy lecithin is an emulsifier that helps mix the ingredients together, while natural flavors can include all sorts of herbs, spices or essential oils.
Nutritional content of Ritz Crackers
Ritz Crackers is a cracker line that includes sandwich crackers (Ritz Cheese Sandwich Crackers), flavored crackers (honey wheat, garlic and roasted vegetable), whole grain crackers and low salt crackers called Hint of Salt. Nutritional value is based on the original Ritz Crackers.
Nutrition (per serving of 5 crackers):
Calories: 80
Fat: 4 g (saturated fatty acids: 1.5 g)
sodium: 130mg
Carbohydrates: 10 g (fiber: 0 g, sugar: 1 g)
protein: 1g
Health Benefits of Ritz Crackers
Ritz Crackers are a classic snack with several health benefits.
Energy source
About 50% of the calories in Ritz Crackers come from carbohydrates. Despite the popularity of low-carb diets, carbohydrates are not necessarily bad and provide the body with its preferred energy source: glucose. A balanced diet should get 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, or about 900 to 1,300 calories on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Easily digestible
For overall health, whole grains are better. However, if you are recovering from a stomach flu or experiencing an outbreak of ulcerative colitis, your gut may prefer low-fiber foods that are easier to digest, like Original Ritz Crackers, which contain no fiber.
Vehicle for healthy toppings
Ritz Crackers are sweet and savory and pair well with many toppings, making them a great way to add flavor, variety, and nutrition to your diet. Of course, cheese is a great choice, but you can also top your Ritz Crackers with hummus, nut butter, smashed avocado, tomatoes, salsa, or turkey.
You can also make small pizzas by topping the puff pastry crackers with sauce, cheese and basil and baking them in the oven until the cheese melts.
Health Disadvantages of Ritz Crackers
It may come as no surprise that Original Ritz Crackers have more health disadvantages than benefits.
High fat content
Carbohydrates provide the majority of calories in Ritz Crackers, but fat provides the rest, 45% of the calories per serving. Although the cracker contains vegetable oils, palm oil adds saturated fat, providing 8% of the daily value per serving.
Regardless of the source, for heart health it is recommended to limit total saturated fat intake to 10% of calories (22 grams of saturated fat per day for a 2,000-calorie diet).
Made from refined flour
One of the biggest drawbacks of Original Ritz Crackers is that their main ingredient is refined flour, which contains no fiber. The cracker is made from enriched flour that has B vitamins and iron added.
The whole wheat version of Ritz Crackers is made with whole wheat flour and offers 1 gram of fiber per serving, meeting 3% of your daily needs. That’s not great, but it’s a little better if you’re looking to add more fiber to your diet. Currently, 95% of Americans don’t get enough fiber, so every extra gram helps. More fiber improves bowel function and can lower your risk of heart disease.
Not a good source of nutrients
The nutritional information on the Nutrition Facts label for Ritz Crackers is limited. However, they are not a significant source of any of the nutrients listed and only provide 2% of the daily value of iron. USDA FoodData Central provides a little more nutritional information and shows that despite the use of enriched flour, the crackers are not a significant source of any nutrient and provide 5% or less of the daily value of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, and niacin.
Sodium source
Lightly salted, a serving of Ritz Crackers provides 6% of the daily sodium requirement. The crackers are not particularly high in sodium, but since sodium is a nutrient that most people consume too much of, caution is advised. High sodium intake can increase the risk of high blood pressure, and you should limit your daily intake to 2,300 milligrams per day.
Ritz Hint of Salt Crackers is a lower sodium option, providing 1% of your daily needs.
Are Ritz crackers healthy?
While Ritz Crackers aren’t the healthiest crackers on the shelf, they have their place in a balanced diet plan. Made from refined flour, the crackers are easy to digest and provide a little energy and sodium for those recovering from a stomach virus. They’re also a good base for nutrient-dense foods like nut butters, avocados, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs.
If you’re looking for a healthier cracker, Triscuits Original Crackers, Flackers Flax Seed Crackers, and Simple Mills Rosemary & Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers are better choices. These crackers are made with whole grains or whole foods and contain more fiber than Original Ritz Crackers.
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