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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.

Whole Grain Wheat Thins

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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54 Comments:

Great post. At least they did what they promised they would do. I actually didn't know there were four grams of sugar per serving! I'll have to give these a try and see what I think.

Nope, haven't tried the new crackers. I try, try to stay away from them. There to addicting! I like to make Lavash chips, I get like 40 chips for 120 calories and it's whole grain! However, when I have a salt craving, crackers are a great quick fix!!

Can't have crackers in my house. It's like having potato chips.

Lisa, I wasn't aware that they went 100% whole wheat. I will have to give them a try. I like to pair crackers with Friendship's no salt added cottage cheese. :)

It's still basically the same: nutrient poor, no phytochemicals, basically empty calories. Why have have a sliced tomato with guacamole, carrot sticks with humus?

I,m sure I will try a box to see what they taste like, but I will most likely stick with my Triscuts.

It's impressive that they responded to you! I'll have to try the new "original"

I usually like to have some crackers around as a "treat" and Wheat Thins are often it... BUT, be warned - stay away from the Parmesean Garlic flavor - nasty salty powder on Wheat Thins - yuck. For cheese, I often use those pre-portioned wedges - not as yummy as real cheese, but you don't keep slicing off more!

For really good crackers, try the Trader Joe's gorgonzola crackers - YUM! - and don't need cheese - I believe nutrition facts are about the same. TJ's also has a good Everything cracker that is similar to a Wheat Thin, but with poppy seeds & sesame seeds, etc. on top - again, similar nutrition info.

Can you tell I visited Trader Joe's this weekend? Stocked up!

You go Snack Girl! Wonderful. Many thanks~

I still say it's super easy to make your own crackers: http://www.anorganicwife.com/2012/01/whole-wheat-crackers.h…

The key to making them not so hard and dense is to use a combination of whole wheat and white whole wheat flour... which is still 100% whole grain.

I love wheat thins with cheese or justt straight out of the box I don't know If I have tried the new original I wil tell you what I think of them when I try them.

I've been snacking on these for the past few weeks and really like them. I did make sure to check the ingredients and to my untrained eye they seemed okay. Glad to hear that's the case so I can snack guilt-free!

my daughter and I call them "crack"-kers cause they are so addictive :)

I switched to Triscuits when I realized that Wheat Thins has HFCS in them.

No, haven't eaten wheat thins in years. I'm with Jaki and will stick with Triscuits as my cracker of choice.

Happy to report I just went to Publix this morning and these were BOGO. Nice.

I have had the new Wheat Thins and I still love them. I think that even if the texture has changed a bit Kraft made a good move in switching to whole grains. A huge number of people don't get enough whole grains each day, so even if this still isn't the healthiest snack at least people are eating whole grains rather than refined grains. I like your idea of adding cheese or hummus to fewer crackers to feel more full.

My husband and I have been eating Wheat Thins for decades. We bought a box of the "new" Wheat Thins and honestly thought something was wrong with them as they are too hard, too thin, too tasteless and not salty enough. So we bought another box, thinking the first was some sort of production blip. These were the same and just awful (IMO). So, now in our late 60's and not obsessed with "health foods" anyway, we will have to search around for a new afternoon snack. I am glad I found this article so that I know it is Kraft and not our aging tastebuds!

Very upset! I found this site while looking to see what the heck happened to my crackers. Too fragile for dipping. Less flavor IMHO. I'll have to find a new cracker and Wheat Thins have been my favorite for YEARS

This is great news for those of use who have high triglycerides. Eating everything 100% whole wheat is really the only way to go with this problem. Enriched wheat is bad for you. The FDA should not allow you to call something wheat if it is made with enriched wheat.

I, too, discovered this site while trying to figure out why my Wheat Thins suddenly tasted awful! At least you provide an explanation, but how unthinking of Kraft to give the new product the same UPC code. It may be too late to buy a lifetime supply of the old recipe! Who do I write to at Kraft to lobby for a "classic" Wheat Thin?

I, too, discovered this site while trying to figure out why my Wheat Thins suddenly tasted awful! At least you provide an explanation, but how unthinking of Kraft to give the new product the same UPC code. It may be too late to buy a lifetime supply of the old recipe! Who do I write to at Kraft to lobby for a "classic" Wheat Thin?

I stopped buying them because they contained corn syrup before- maybe not now.

I think the new Wheat Thins whole grain are better than the original. They are a bit hard but, they do give a really, REALLY good crunch. The only bad thing about them is, we eat too many. LOL

I do not like the new Original Wheat Thins I have been eating wheat thins for 50 years and these are not good...too thick,too sweet and not salty enough. Give me back the real "Originals"!

The new ones are horrible. I ate these every day for liken10. Years now. So sad. They seem to have less salt too. The people at Kraft are crazy to mess this up. My original originals ran out last month, I guess that's what the Mayans were predicting.

The new Wheat Thins are horrid! My husband and I are into 100% whole grain (as we buy it for all our breads and cereals) but these are just terrible! We haven't probably had a box in the house in a few years and I bought some recently that were BOGO. Now I know why they were BOGO! They are dry, tasteless (you can compare them to cardboard) and just plain awful. My husband, who could probably eat cardboard and call it great, was unable to eat them. I crushed the second box of crackers and threw them out in the brush for the small animals to eat. Yuck!!!

I have to say, I'm not at all a fan of the new original wheat thins. I definitely noticed a difference about 3 months ago, and I actually threw them out because I thought it was a bad batch. I had no idea. But when I got a second, third and forth box that had that same rough, over-baked looking texture, I knew it had to be a recipe change. I know it seems silly, but I really notice a difference in taste, and I much prefer the old original wheat thins. I don't know why they aren't at least offering us a choice..

I am not pleased with the new original. And I think calling them original is a joke. New original doesn't even make sense. THey are not as flavorful and they have lost their great texture. Wheat Thins just lost this loyal customer.

The "new Original" has a terrible bland taste and are extremely hard and dry. Awful mouth feel! Can't believe they did away with the Original "Original" altogether for those of us who were responsible enough to enjoy these as a treat instead of a means to fulfill a daily fiber requirement. Have loved these for years and will never purchase again! Had to throw away a whole box, no one in my family would go near them :(

Sucks! The article is good enough, but come one...give me the real originals back please?!?! Good Lord, I remember having my tonsils taken out as a kid...the first thing I asked for when I awoke? Wheat Thins Original. I ate the whole box too...ask my folks! Not the dull-topped super-processed "Originals" they have now...but the real deal! I SOOOO wish I could try those crackers again! Not sure why they changed...but I miss the real ones and rarely eat the new ones.

Just tried the new original wheat thins,their awful,like stamped dried whole wheat mush,terrible taste and weird texture. I used to love wheat thins. I'll feed the deer with them and hit trader joes

I want the real Original Wheat Thins--not this new reformulated crap they are calling Original Wheat Thins. I would like to be able to make the choice to buy reformulated or the ones I grew up with....which definitely taste a million times better than the newly reformulated version. Don't lie to me and tell me these are the Original Wheat Thins when they bear little resemblance to the real originals. I hate them and will never buy them again. I feel like I was duped by Nabisco, a brand I have, up to now, always trusted.

Agree with you on all counts!! We just had a bad experience with Wheat Thins (original) --one of Mondelez International's brands. I felt bilked when we bought a big bag of the things and ended up something that didn't look or taste like the real deal. Too sweet by far! But finding that Modelez was basically a candy company before they expanded to gobble up all of Nabisco made me wonder if access to cheap sugar didn't have something to do with it...no more Mondelez products for us! We are joining Snack Lady NOW to avoid nasty experiences in the future.

The new formula is terrible. The taste is completely off as well as the texture. Major bummer

THEY ARE ADDICTING ! This is my first time trying them and I went through one box in a day! I'm eating them as I type this comment! Lol they could be healthier but I think it's a good snack, that I should probably cut back on. Lol

I had to laugh at your article about how you never knew anyone with the name "Basil" before! Both my Dad & brother are named that! :)

Where in Huddersfield can I buy the 2nd original wholegrain wheat thins. I bought some in the states and love them. Now they are finished help.....😉

Rejoice! After 5 years, I have found someone who is making "Wheat Thins" to the ORIGINAL ORIGINAL recipe using good old FLOUR. They taste exactly as I remember them, and they have the same crunch and texture as the Wheat Thins we all grew up with. The product is ONLY available at HEB supermarkets in Texas. https://www.heb.com/product-detail/hill-country-fare-thin-w…

Agree with all of the others who had enjoyed the ORIGINAL orignal Wheat Thins since the 1960s and 70s. The new "orignals" taste terrible IMHO. If you can call it taste that is. Just a hard flavorless square. Why after all these years would they change a classic? Why not keep it and add other versions under different names? Sadly a lot of the great snacks from the old days have been swallowed up by corporate greed. Never buying these again...

Taste like crap now. Waay too sweet. I loved them going up. Why can't people leave things alone.. They are snacks!! There not all supposed to be healthy..

Just bought the first box of the new wheat thins. I don't like them. The taste is not the same and they look smaller to me. Also the texture is different from the original. Naturally, they changed the packaging to distract you from the fact that they snuck in bad changes to the product itself.

I bought a box of the "Original" new look Wheat Thins! I thought there was a serious control quality issue because they were that bad - so different from the cracker I thought I was purchasing. Size, texture, coloring, ALL different. And taste was awful!!! I called - was asked to give expiration date (late next year) and UPC number. If you liked the Wheat Thins that are in your taste bud memories, do NOT buy these! Fair warning! And forget the new Original Ritz crackers as well. Since Nabisco moved production out of the country, their quality and my loyalty are going by the wayside. Thanks for this forum!

In Texas, we have a grocery chain called HEB that goes out of its way to create exclusive products to meet customer demand. Seeing the demand for the true original Wheat Thins, they created "Hill Country Fare Thin Wheat" crackers replicating the original Wheat Thins under the HEB economy brand. This product tasted EXACTLY like the Wheat Thins we remember, including that satisfying feeling on the tongue.

https://www.heb.com/product-detail/hill-country-fare-thin-w…

For some reason, HEB discontinued this product -- possibly because "Thin Wheat" was too similar to "Wheat Thins". The product has re-emerged with the virtually identical recipe as "HEB Delicatessen Wheat Crisp".

https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-bite-size-wheat-cr…

They also have an "organic" version called "HEB Organics Thin Wheat" which appears to favor whole wheat flour over enriched wheat.

https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-organics-thin-whea…

To my knowledge, the only way to get these products is in a Texas HEB store... but at least folks outside of Texas can take comfort in knowing that the traditional recipe is not completely dead!

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.

thought the new original, distorted looking wheat thins were stale tasting and too dry. Not with the sort of fluffy airiness they used to have. Kept tryinf to find the nice salty flavor, but gave up. Maybe thr squirrels will like them better! They join now join my "no buy list" along with dry roasted peanuts which aren't salty enough to enjoy anymore either. JR Flyte

I knew they were available in light of the fact that I got an email from somebody whose child would not eat the NEW unique. She thought about whether I could reveal to her where to locate the ORIGINAL unique.

I agree with everyone that hates the new so-called "original" wheat thins. Used to be my favorite savory cracker. I took a bite and had to check the label sugar is now the main ingredient arter wheat and oil. Almost no salt. Hard ugly unpalatable. I don't think I can finish the box. West from best to worst. Yuck.

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.

Just purchased the primary box of the new wheat diminishes. I don't care for them. The taste isn't the same and they look littler to me. Likewise the surface is unique in relation to the first. Normally, they changed the bundling to occupy you from the way that they snuck in awful changes to the item itself.

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.

Awesome post. At any rate they did what they guaranteed they would do. I really didn't know there were four grams of sugar for each serving! I'll need to try these out and see what I think.

Wheat Thins needs to go back to the drawing board and reformulate again! The current version has much less taste than the traditional version and isn't as pleasing in visuals or texture -- but mainly, it's the relatively nondescript taste that is so disappointing. Did nobody within the company taste these things before they approved them? (I'm kidding, but you get my point...)

Once again... This Texas grocery chain has perfectly replicated the old original Wheat Thins recipe:

https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-bite-size-wheat-cr…

If you are in Texas, you are golden! Otherwise. perhaps they will ship them to you?


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