Crackers: Nutrition Facts, Are Crackers Healthy, Saltines and Whole Wheat Labels

Crackers are thin, dry, crisp baked snacks, most of them made from wheat flour, fat and salt. This guide uses USDA data to compare crackers nutrition across common types, from saltine crackers to whole wheat crackers, rye crispbread and matzo, explains what FDA says about sodium and whole grain wording on labels, and gives a fair answer to whether crackers are healthy.

Peptide Labs does not sell crackers or other snack foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Types of crackers

Common types of crackers include:

• Saltines: also called soda crackers; USDA groups oyster, soda and soup crackers in the same saltine entry. Oyster crackers are small saltine-style crackers and contain no oysters.
• Snack crackers: rich, buttery rounds and rectangles with more fat than saltines.
• Whole-wheat crackers: often made from shredded or woven whole wheat.
• Cheese crackers: small crackers made with cheese in the dough.
• Rye crispbread: thin, very dry slabs made from rye flour.
• Matzo: an unleavened cracker traditionally made from just flour and water.
• Graham crackers: sweet crackers that USDA files under cookies, not crackers.
• Rice crackers: made from rice; our rice cakes guide covers their puffed cousins.

Crackers nutrition: USDA values

USDA SR Legacy (April 2018 release) has dozens of cracker entries. The table shows common types at the portion USDA lists, mostly half an ounce (14.2 g). Portions differ between rows, so compare the weights before the numbers. Percent Daily Values (%DV) use FDA reference amounts.

Two patterns run through the USDA data. Crackers hold little water, so they carry more calories by weight than bread: USDA lists 418 calories per 100 g for saltines and 510 for regular snack crackers, against 266 for white bread. And sodium swings widely: per 100 g, USDA lists 941 milligrams for saltines and 1,214 for whole wheat saltines (FDC 167942), while low-salt saltines have 198 and plain matzo none. The count of crackers on the plate matters as much as the type.

Saltine crackers and sodium

Saltine crackers are the classic soup cracker, and their sodium is the number to watch. In USDA data, five saltines have 140 milligrams of sodium, 6% of the Daily Value. On the same half-ounce basis, USDA lists 134 milligrams for regular saltines, 109 for saltines with unsalted tops (FDC 175057) and 28 for low-salt saltines. The USDA unsalted-top version still has salt in the dough, so it is only a little lower. FDA’s general guide says 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high, and FDA notes that over 70% of the sodium Americans eat comes from packaged and prepared foods rather than the salt shaker.

Sodium words on a cracker box have legal meanings under FDA’s rule on sodium claims, 21 CFR 101.61:

• Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium per reference amount customarily consumed, the standard serving FDA sets for that type of food, with an added condition for foods with small reference amounts.
• Reduced sodium or less sodium: at least 25 percent less sodium than an appropriate reference food, per FDA.
• Unsalted or no salt added: FDA allows these words only if no salt is added during processing, and a food that is not sodium free must also carry the statement not a sodium free food or not for control of sodium in the diet next to the nutrition label.
• Salt is not sodium: the FDA rule says the term salt is not synonymous with sodium; FDA describes table salt as sodium chloride and sodium as one of the elements in it. Our low sodium guide has more.

Whole wheat crackers and whole grain labels

Whole wheat crackers and multigrain crackers sound alike, but the label tells the story. FDA’s 2006 draft guidance on whole grain label statements, which is marked not for implementation and non-binding, describes a whole grain as the intact, ground, cracked or flaked kernel with its endosperm, germ and bran in the same proportions as the intact grain. The same draft says FDA has not defined any claims concerning the grain content of foods.

• Check the first ingredient: FDA’s draft says consumers should be able to look at the ingredient statement to see whether the predominant or first ingredient is a whole grain.
• Wheat flour is not whole wheat flour: the FDA draft says wheat flour is a synonym of flour, with the bran and germ removed, and should not be labeled a whole grain flour; whole wheat flour counts as a whole grain flour. Our whole wheat flour guide explains the difference.
• Graham: the same FDA draft calls graham flour an alternative name for whole wheat flour, but a graham cracker’s ingredient list shows which flour comes first.
• Multigrain is not a fiber promise: in USDA data, the multigrain cracker entry has 0.5 g of fiber in four crackers (2% DV), less than the whole-wheat entry’s 1.5 g per half ounce (5% DV); our high fiber foods guide lists other sources.

Are crackers healthy?

Are crackers healthy? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 are direct about them: they say to significantly reduce highly processed, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, packaged breakfast options, flour tortillas and crackers, and to prioritize fiber-rich whole grains. Our refined carbs guide covers what that category means.

The same guidelines say added sugar limits for snack foods should follow FDA’s healthy claim limits, and give crackers as the example: grain snacks should not exceed 5 grams of added sugar per three-quarter ounce whole-grain equivalent. FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams based on a 2,000 calorie diet. USDA SR Legacy reports total sugars, not added sugars; one large graham cracker piece has 3.5 g of total sugars, per USDA. The Added Sugars line on the box is the number to check, and our foods high in sugar guide lists other sources.

The fair summary: most crackers are a refined-grain snack, and some are high in sodium in USDA data. Versions with a whole grain listed first on the label and less sodium exist, and toppings change the plate, whether that is cheese, hummus, peanut butter or sardines.

Gluten, wheat and allergens on cracker labels

• Wheat: most crackers are wheat-based, and FDA lists wheat among the nine major food allergens that packaged food labels must declare.
• Gluten: NIDDK says gluten is found naturally in wheat, barley, and rye and in baked goods made from them, so wheat crackers, rye crispbread and regular matzo contain it. Our foods with gluten guide lists other sources.
• Gluten-free crackers: NIDDK lists flours made from rice, corn, potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat and beans among gluten-free options, and FDA rules limit foods labeled gluten-free to under 20 parts per million gluten, as NIDDK notes. USDA SR Legacy includes cracker entries labeled gluten-free (FDC 174104 and 174103).
• Cross-contact: NIDDK advises storing and preparing gluten-free foods separately from foods that contain gluten.
• Sesame: FDA says that as of January 1, 2023, sesame must be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods, and warns that some products now contain small amounts of sesame that did not before. Seeded crackers often carry it; check the ingredient list and the Contains statement, as FDA advises. Our sesame seeds guide has more.
• Milk: cheese crackers and many buttery crackers contain milk, which FDA lists among the major food allergens, so read the ingredient list.

Storing and serving crackers

• Keep them sealed: crackers soften when they pick up moisture, so close the inner bag or move them to an airtight container after opening.
• Soup and toppings: oyster crackers float in chowder; crushed crackers make a coating.
• Easy pairings: sliced cheddar, hummus, peanut butter, sardines, sliced tomato or cucumber.
• Soft alternative: for a warm wheat bread from the tandoor, see our naan guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Naan: Nutrition Facts, Calories, Is Naan Healthy and Naan vs Roti, Rice Cakes: Are Rice Cakes Healthy? Calories, Nutrition, Arsenic, Low Sodium Foods: USDA List, Foods High in Sodium and Label Terms.