The New and Improved Wheat Thins
March 6, 2012 54 Comments
Snack Girl has a long history with Nabisco. We go WAYYY back to 2010.
In August of that year, I flamed Wheat Thins for their 100% Whole Grain recipe - see here: When 100% Whole Grain Means Nothing.
The consequence of writing about Wheat Thins was a phone call from Kraft - the manufacturer of Wheat Thins. A very nice gentleman named Basil (never met anyone named Basil before) informed me that Wheat Thins were going through a reformulation.
I posted Kraft's response here - Wheat Thins Manufacturer (Kraft) Talks To Snack Girl - because I am nice like that. Hey, even a huge food corporation deserves a chance to defend itself.
Anyway, the conclusion was that all Wheat Thins were to become 100% whole grain. Someone at Nabisco actually sent me a box of the new Wheat Thins - which bear the title "Original" - even though they are now not the original but a new version of original (which makes no sense).
I knew they were on the market because I received an e-mail from someone whose son would not eat the NEW original. She wondered if I could tell her where to find the ORIGINAL original.
The answer to that question is now there is only ORIGINAL - you cannot find the Original Original or the 100% Whole Grain - because they are one product.
Did Kraft actually do what Basil said they were going to do? Yes! These crackers have only whole wheat flour - and are 100% whole grain. This means that instead of 2 grams of fiber for 16 crackers, you get 3 grams of fiber. You also get 2% more of your daily value of iron in a serving.
Sadly, they aren't really that different. I guess I wanted less sugar too - because 4 grams per serving for crackers seems like a lot to me.
I will give Kraft some credit, though, for doing what they said they were going to do. Good work!
Everything else about these crackers are the same as the original Wheat Thins. They taste pretty much the same except that they are harder. The ORIGINAL original had a more melt in your mouth feel to them.
Here are the nutritional facts for one serving of the NEW original:
For 16 crackers = 140 calories, 5 g fat, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber, 230 mg sodium, 4 Points+
Is this a bad snack? Not when you compare it to Ding Dongs or Doritos. Is this the healthiest snack? No, but you could make them healthier. Why not eat just 8 of them with some hummus or guacamole?
The key to healthy crackers is what you put on them. I find that if I just eat crackers then I am hungry in a very short amount of time. If I pair them with (dare I say it) cheese or hummus, I last a lot longer.
Have you tried the NEW Original Wheat Thins? What do you think of Kraft for reformulating their crackers?
This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided.
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