Crackers and chips and other crunchy foods are so good. When I first started eating healthier one thing I tried to do was to cut out bread and crackers. I wanted to limit my grain intake but wasn’t ready to take them all out. This was over 10 years ago now, and it was before the knowledge of gluten free and grain free living was so popular and also much easier to do with so many more companies making foods to support these lifestyles.
Do you want to know what I remember most about eating healthier was missing the crunch I was used to with crackers and corn chips. And I love dips and sauces. And dips without chips didn’t seem like a good idea at the time.
I felt like I wanted more. More crunch.
I believe you get used to a little less crunch in a grain free diet. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get any crunch eating this way.
Before we get to alternatives for healthy crunchy snacks, let’s look at a typical box of wheat based crackers, Wheat Thins.
These used to be one of my most favorite crackers. I could eat them plain or with a big slice of cheddar cheese or with some sort of dip. One thing that I love is a crunchy cracker!
The summertime can be one of the hardest time to eat healthy and make wise food choices. There are lots of parties, get togethers, and snacks everywhere. And summertime snacks aren’t usually the healthiest. But if you know ahead of time that there’s most likely going to be unhealthy foods, then you can plan to have options with you that you can eat and still partake in some of the food options. For example, if you bring your own crackers you can dip it in hummus, salsa, guacamole, spinach and artichoke dip, or use with a cheese and meat plate. That’s what I do at a party.
How about we look into some ingredients in the Wheat Thins. Let me tell you, this is not just a Wheat Thin thing, this holds true to many of the crackers you buy in a grocery store. I just chose wheat thins because they used to be my very most favorite cracker.
The main issue with the ingredients in these wheat thins or a traditional cracker is the highly processed and often times artificial ingredients. For example, most crackers have highly processed wheat flour, bad fats (in this case soybean oil) and sugar. Yep, they add sugar to crackers. It’s because as a whole in our country, our taste buds are used to extremely sweet things. So they know if they add sugar more people will want to eat it. It’s sad but true. Wheat thins don’t have hydrogenated oils, but think of a Ritz cracker. Do you know that buttery flaky coating on the cracker, that’s a trans fat. Trans fats will clog up the function of your cells, so it’s important to choose a healthy version of a cracker.
Some alternatives to these crackers are 3 crackers you can buy in natural and organic stores:
1. Mary’s Gone Crackers. They are full of seeds and only have a little bit of brown rice. These would be my favorite crackers. They come in about 4 different flavors. They are pretty crunchy, so watch your teeth. These crackers are even good dipped in peanut butter.
2. Nut Thins. The nut thin crackers have more grains in them, but they are still pretty amazing. Most everyone will like these crackers. They even have a smokehouse flavor, ranch and cheddar. I love the smokehouse with a chunk of sharp cheddar cheese on top.
3. Flackers. These crackers are made with flax seeds and are grain free. I believe they are dehydrated and they are 100% grain free. They are a little more seedy, so they aren’t on the top of my list. But you can eat them if you are grain free and can also find them in a store. It’s a great thing to have as an option if you don’t get around to making your own cracker.
The other option is making your own crackers with almond flour. These are totally amazing. Here is my almond flour cracker recipe.
I also have a sweet cracker recipes made with sunflower seeds. Here’s the recipe.
There are other crunchy options too, not crackers, but still crunchy. How about some veggies?
- Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Jicama
- You can even use lettuce as a wrap, it makes a great sandwich wrap
Hopefully knowing some more options and alternatives for crackers can help you out and make choosing healthy foods easier. It is such a great treat for me to have my homemade crackers with a big bowl of guacamole!
When you go to a party, do you bring some of your own foods? How do you handle a big summer potluck?
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