are crackers as bad as cereal?

[kfillmore]

What does everyone think? Are crackers (and what I mean is rye Ryvita, Rycrisp etc) as terrible as cold cereal or rice cakes?

[proudmomof4]

I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here but could you be a little more explicit?
I can totally see why you don't like some sugar loaded crap which is still labeled cereal but Ryvita and some other brands are ground whole rye with maybe a bit of salt. Also, I'm aware that rice cakes have a relatively high glycemic index (even though they're made from whole rice) but I'd rather have my child snack on that with some fruit and / or raw veggies plus some proteins than on "twinkies", chocolate chip cookies or something similar. (No kidding, as seen as a group snack in one of my children's Kindergarten classes!)

[StrongBeliever]

No, I don't think that a high quality whole grain cracker is as evil as cold cereal or rice cakes. I use them occasionally. IMO, if they are a vehicle for a really wholesome topping(sardines or pate or something) that wouldn't go down otherwise, then they are justifiable. I wouldn't say they are healthy, but not bad. I really like the Ryvita brand, and I always get them when I splurge on the really good sardines. Maybe you could call the company and ask how they prepare the crackers? That might give you some peace of mind.

[MyLittleWarrior]

I think the op is referring to the extrusion process that even low sugar cereals go through to get to be o's or flakes or what not. And I think it depends on the cracker. I used to buy Triscuits because they have such a short ingredient list, until I learned that they are extruded too. Crackers that are ground whole grains are better than extruded cereals, but they are probably not soaked grains, so they fall a little short in TF terms.

(not passing any judgement here, as my TF children munch down a box of cheez-its. We try, but we're by no means perfect)

[velcromom]

I use this recipe - I've tried quite a few different cracker recipes and it's our favorite. I am planning to use part soft wheat next time to make it a bit lighter in texture.

[kfillmore]

I am talking about the extrusion process. My baby loves the crackers. She also really likes O cereal. She is so little I am afraid of feeding her food that supposidly killed rats.

against that study though it is not that scientifically done and doesn't seems to have been repeated.