Review: 365 Woven Wheat Crackers

365 Woven Wheat Cracker I was all set to review another cracker for today but I tossed that out the window because I need to talk to you about a cracker love affair I have going on right now.

It started with Triscuits.  We all know Triscuits, right?  The wheat cracker that puts on airs and pretends to be healthy for you.  “But it’s wheat! And there’s fiber too!” I used to love Triscuits!  The Rosemary and Olive Oil being my favorite flavor.  They were crunchy, a little salty, and went perfectly with hummus.  I thought I was doing alright.

Then I read the ingredients list.

Pfftttttt You’re not kidding me Nabisco, the Triscuit ingredient list isn’t so hot. That’s for the Rosemary Olive Oil flavor.  Just in case you don’t want to click the link, here’s what the ingredients say, bolding mine:

Ingredients: WHOLE WHEAT, SOYBEAN AND/OR PALM OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, SPICES (INCLUDES ROSEMARY), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (FLAVOR ENHANCER), ONION POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR, OLIVE OIL.

Soybean AND/OR Palm Oil?  It could have one or it could have both? Are we playing some sort of oil game?  “Oooo which one are we going to get?” while crossing our fingers wishing it’s one or the other.

Maltodextrin is a starch that is used as a sweetener to foods. It’s an additive that isn’t needed.  Don’t be fooled by articles claiming “it’s all natural and derived from natural plants or vegetables.”  Same can be said for HFCS and we all know that’s not good stuff.

Monosodium Glutamate = MSG. I love how they sugar coat that by calling it a “Flavor Enhancer”.  I don’t about you but I don’t want MSG in my food, thanks.

What is “natural flavor”?  Does anyone know what that even means?

And then there’s olive oil which is good for you!  But it’s at the end of the ingredient list and since ingredients are listed by weight that means there is very little of it present.  Bonus, if we picked a winning box which contains both Soybean and Palm Oil AND Olive Oil, that’s a hell of a lot of oil in a cracker isn’t it?

You can see why I kicked Triscuits to the curb. And in case you’re curious, the ingredients for plain Triscuits are:

Ingredients: WHOLE WHEAT, SOYBEAN AND/OR PALM OIL, SALT.

Still playing the game of chance with the soybean and palm oil ingredients.    Why would I want to do that?

Exactly.

But I loved them!  So my plan was to find an alternative and that’s when I discovered 365 Brand Woven Wheat Crackers.  Admittedly they could use a different name.  Come on Whole Foods, Woven Wheat?  Like someone’s going to pull something out of the box resembling an area rug their grandma made.  Let’s work on a new name!

365 Woven Wheat Crackers Ingredients List But in the meantime I am going through these crackers like they might not last forever.  Check out the ingredients list:

Oh snap! Triscuit just got crack slapped by Woven Wheat!  Woven Wheat has two ingredients.

TWO.

Whole Wheat and salt.  None of this AND/OR bidness.  No added oils, “flavor enhancers”, and no vague “natural flavor” addition, and no phoney “but it’s really okay” food additives.

Just wheat and salt.

YES! This is an ingredient list I can live with.  This is the type of ingredient list I want on my foods.  Short and simple.

365 Woven Wheat Cracker Because I know you’re wondering, here is what Woven Wheat looks like. Totally not like Grandma Betsy’s area rugs.  Unless she’s making one for Barbie and Barbie is into sensible neutral colors.

If you’ve done the Triscuit thing and you’re looking for a better alternative, please check these out.  They can be found at Whole Foods stores which are all over the place. So go get yourself some Woven Wheats! And maybe together we can help them come up with a better name. Just kidding, Whole Foods! Woven Wheat is totally cool! (P.S. Not really.)

25 thoughts on “Review: 365 Woven Wheat Crackers

  1. It’s been a while since I’ve had triscuits, but I had no idea they had all that crap in them! Wow. The 365 crackers’ ingredients list puts triscuts to shame! They look yummy, too.

  2. Oh my… I was led here via Jenn Reese’s blog, and I can see that I have some catch-up reading to do! I just subscribed via Google Reader.

    This past semester I took a biology/nutrition course, and I’ve long been a subscriber to Nutrition Action. I also love Whole Foods. I look forward to reading your blog.

  3. oohh loved the review! glad you found crackers that contain what crackers should- wheat & salt !

    I’m not really a fan of crackers but at least I know now there is a good option!

  4. Sylvia says:

    I just reread the ingredients on Triscuits and now find that the main ingredient is “Whole Grain Soft WHITE Winter Wheat.” I wrongly assumed that whole wheat did not mean white wheat. I will have to buy 365 when I get to St. Louis.

  5. Deanna says:

    Sorry, but the 365 crackers SUCK. Really. They’re horrible. They taste like cardboard. And I am HUGE health/organic eater. I never eat triscuits or other super-processed foods. But really, Whole Foods? With the net worth of your company, you can’t invest in better recipes? And I’m not even complaining about the two ingredient list. That’s great. But try Trader Joe’s woven wheats (what the 365 were made to impersonate). They have the same exact ingredients, 5000X better flavor. I just ate another 365 cracker to prove to my fiance that they’re nasty, and I feel like I’m knawing on one of my presents from under the tree. Merry Christmas.

  6. caranddriver says:

    I tried the 365 woven wheat crackers and they are pretty bad. Cardboard could be used as an adjective. I think the best one I’ve tasted so far is the Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheats Crackers. Ingredients: whole wheat, safflower oil, sea salt, vitamin E (to help protect flavor). Safflower oil is far preferable to Triscuit’s soybean and/or palm oil. Found them at Whole Foods too. Trying the pricey Kashi ones next.

  7. Kerry Wano says:

    Nabisco (Triscuit) must be feeling the pressure. Latest plain box shows three ingredients: whole grain soft white wheat, soybean oil, sea salt.

    The flavored one, though (cracked pepper & olive oil) still shows maltodextrin and natural flavor. I read somewhere that, so far, no one has gotten a satisfactory answer from Nabisco about what those natural flavors are, except that they are vegetarian friendly. Whatever that means.

  8. Tori says:

    Do you have any idea if the Woven Wheats are GMO free? I asked at WF and they didn’t know. I’m having the hardest time finding this type of cracker that is GMO free!

  9. Joe says:

    I just got through eating a few of my favorite Triscuits – Dill & Sea Salt. They don’t have the MSG, but all of the other junk that you mentioned in this dated article. When it comes down to it, it’s the texture that makes these crackers so good. I’m getting sick and tired of our food industry putting profit before nurtition. It makes me sick. Thank you for pointing me in a new direction.

  10. Rudi Pittman says:

    Current Triscuit “Original made with sea salt” shows 3 ingredients. Whole Grain Wheat, Canola oil, Sea Salt.

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