Choosing a cracker variety in the supermarket can be as challenging as finding the right episode of Bluey (“not THAT one!”) whilst cooking dinner for hangry children on a conference call.

Do you go for the rye because it’s dark (and surely dark means healthy), or are the ones with visible seeds better? Do the seaweed ones actually contain any seaweed? And what does seaweed do for you anyway?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Crackers can vary greatly in their healthiness, but even as a dietitian I can find the decision overwhelming in the very long, very bright supermarket aisle. 

Eyeballing the options at my local Coles recently, the majority of options make some sort of health claim. Most of them are around wholegrains or salt, or both in some cases. However, unfortunately these hand-picked, front-of-pack claims aren’t necessarily a good measure for the overall healthiness of the product. (The ones that are really high in salt will only mention fibre on the front, and vice versa).

So, I’ve compiled my ‘top 3 favs’ list of cracker picks for children, based on children’s nutrition needs, below. Or if you’d rather peruse the shelves yourself, check out my top three tips for making a healthier cracker choice. And I recommend taking a look at our Using Food Labels to Make Healthier Food Choices blog, too.

I should say – this list was compiled from options available in my local large Coles. I’m confident there are many smaller, independent brands making fantastic cracker options that aren’t (or aren’t yet) stocked in mainstream supermarkets. If you come across any, please let us know – we’d love to share!

Top 3 healthier cracker options for kids

1. Ryvita Multigrain
   These are one of the higher (possibly the highest) fibre options on the market, with a very impressive 18.3g dietary fibre in every 100g. They’re also lower in salt than many varieties, with 240mg/100g (falling into the 'moderate salt' category).
2. Raw Foods Corn Thins Soy & Linseed 
   These corn thins are also lower in salt with 197mg sodium in every 100g (still technically 'moderate' but lower than many options on the market). They offer 8.1g dietary fibre per 100g which is fairly decent, too. A very solid pick which can double as a high fibre snack, or a base for lunch with extra protein/veggie toppings.
3. Cruskits Original
   These household favs are less nutritionally appealing than options 1 and 2 above, but if you’re little one prefers a lighter/crispier cracker these are still a solid option with 367mg sodium, and 3.8g fibre.
4. Arnotts Vita Wheat Original 
   A more traditional ‘cracker’, these are technically high in salt with >400mg/100g sodium (they have 450mg), but with 12.2g dietary fibre per serve they offer a good fibre boost for older kids.

Not loving any of these?

Making your own crackers is easier than you’d think and means you will of course know exactly what is going inside. Give this recipe a go and let us know what you think!

How do these compare to other options?

To put these into context, we've included the sodium and fibre content of a couple of other popular options below, too. 

Arnotts Savoy Original
Per 100g these contain 848mg sodium(four times that of options 1 and 2 above) and 3.3g fibre.

Salada Original
Per 100g these contain 970mg sodium and 4g fibre.