Vita-Weat Multigrain Crackers | Chewsday Review
This week we go beyond the crunch of these crackers to see what’s inside. Are they a grainy go-to or have we fallen for seed-y marketing?
- Wholegrains (45%) [whole wheat flour, oats], wheat flour, vegetable oil, cornflour, seeds (6%) [linseed, poppy, canola, sunflower kernels], sugar, yeast, salt, emulsifier (soy lecithin).
- Wholegrains and seeds make up more than half of these crackers.
- Allergens: gluten, soy, wheat.
- May contain: peanuts, sesame, milk, tree nuts, egg.
- The saturated fat is within guidelines at 1.6g per 100g. Total fat in these crackers is above our target at 13g per 100g, but the variety of seeds contributes to this.
- The fibre content of these crackers comes in just under our target (1.9g per serving), but it’s worth noting that serving size on the pack is smaller than other crackers. When compared per 100g, the fibre content of Vita-Weat Multigrain Crackers (9.6g per 100g) stacks up fairly evenly with Sakata Wholegrain Rice Crackers (10.1g per 100g), and is higher than Woolworths Multigrain Rice Crackers (5.1g per 100g). The rectangle-shaped Vita-Weat crispbreads do pack more of a fibre punch, sitting at 13-14g of fibre per 100g.
- Total sugar content (3g per 100g) is within guidelines, despite added sugar (which doesn’t seem necessary in a savoury cracker).
- At 442mg per 100g, the sodium content of Vita-Weat Multigrain Crackers is just over our target. This is comparable to other multigrain crackers like Sakata Wholegrain Rice Crackers (396mg per 100g) and Woolworths Multigrain Brown Rice Crackers (318mg per 100g).
- Despite the company confirming no recent reformulations, I’ve noticed that the texture of these crackers is a little firmer and less crumbly than they used to be, making them more suitable for kids with mature biting and chewing skills.
- ‘Wholegrain goodness’. Yes, these do contain a variety of grains and seeds.
- ‘Plant-based’. Yep, this is correct.
- ‘4 star health rating’. This tells us that they compare fairly well to other crackers.
- Vita-Weat Multigrain Crackers are a reasonable addition to your cracker rotation. They contain a decent amount of fibre, are a softer texture than rice crackers, and the grains and seeds are great to mix things up from plain crackers. The sodium content, although slightly above guidelines, is comparable to other grainy crackers.
- For a lower salt option, try choosing rice cakes or corn thins.
- Offering a variety of crackers is more important than choosing the same single ‘best’ option every time. If you’re feeling stuck, Baby, Toddler and Family Mealtimes members have access to my complete guide to choosing crackers, as well as over 15 other product categories.
The composition of food products changes regularly. The nutritional values of the products in this Chewsday Review were correct at the time of publishing.
