Vegetable Crackers: 8 Benefits, Ingredients & Nutritional Value

Vegetable crackers are a crispy and crunchy snack that are often made with enriched wheat flour and seasoned with sesame seeds, flax seeds, salt, and fresh vegetables. Just as the name implies, vegetable crackers are made mainly from a vegetable-based ingredient. It is a light and crispy cracker baked to be the perfect savory snack that you will enjoy all the time. The dehydrated spring onions and fragrant garlic powder give it a unique aroma that not only makes the crackers so good to eat on their own but is also a healthy snack.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Vegetable Crackers

1. Vegetable crackers can deliver some of the benefits of eating whole, really great vegetables in a snack format that’s convenient and tasty. According to Livestrong.com, a serving of 3 Breton brand vegetable crackers contains 60 calories, 2.5 g of fat, and 1 g of protein.

2. Since they are often made with enriched wheat flour or oats, they serve as a rich source of B-Complex vitamins and dietary fiber. 

3. Vegetable crackers contains carbohydrates and protein that are easily digested.

4. The starchy endosperm of the grain easily converts into glucose to give quick energy.

5. It aids in digestion since it contains sodium bicarbonate.

6. Vegetable crackers are generally low in calories compared to other biscuits. 

7.Vegetable crackers not only satisfies your mid day slump, but it will also bring to you a plethora of nutrients in each bite!

8. Vegetable crackers is a good source of energy too, and a perfect and heathy snack to reach out for when you are hungry.

Read Also: Golden Grahams Cereal: 5 Benefits, Ingredients & More

Vegetable Crackers’ Nutrition Value

Nutrition Facts for a Serving Size of 1 serving (40g). Calories 200, Calories from Fat 81 (40.5%)

% Daily Value 

  • Total Fat-9g
  • Saturated fat -0.6g
  • Sodium-260mg (11%)
  • Carbohydrates-26g
  • Net carbs-24g
  • Fiber-2g (8%)
  • Glucose-4g
  • Protein-4g

Vitamins and minerals

  • Vitamin A 36μg 4%
  • Vitamin C 0mg 0%
  • Calcium 0mg 0%
  • Iron 0.6mg 9%
  • Fatty acids
  • Amino acids

Note: The percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may vary depending on your calorie needs.

Vegetable Crackers Ingredients

You can find dozens of varieties of vegetable crackers with a combination of these ingredients, which include: lovely seeds, spices or herbs to enhance their flavor,

Wheat flour, vegetable oil, corn starch, leavening agents [Ammonium Bicarbonate (INS 503(ii)), Sodium Bicarbonate (INS 500(ii)), Disodium Diphosphate (INS 450(i))],chia seeds, sugar, salt, glucose syrup, dehydrated spring onion, garlic powder, yeast, chopped carrots, red bell pepper, hemp seeds, pitted dates, nutritional yeast, chili powder, paprika, cumin, baby spinach kale mix, and flavorings.

1. Chia seed: Chia seed is a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber. Chia seeds boost your digestive health, strengthen your immune system, and give you a natural energy boost you might need as an afternoon pick-up. Chia seeds are also referred to as nutrient powerhouses because they have the following:

  • It has twice as much fiber as any cereal.
  • It has twice as much protein as any other seed.
  • It has twice as much potassium as bananas.
  • It has fourteen (14) times more magnesium than broccoli.
  • It has fourteen (14) times more Omega-3 than salmon.
  • It has five (5) times more calcium than milk.
  • It has three (3) times more antioxidants than blueberries.
  • It has three (3) times more iron than spinach.

2. Enriched wheat flour: Enriched wheat flour is derived by grinding wheat grain after the bran and germ are extracted. Enriched wheat flour is often used by large companies when manufacturing baked goods such as vegetable crackers because of its long shelf life and filling nature. It is also a good source of iron, thiamine, niacin, calcium, and vitamin B6. 

Vegetable Crackers
Vegetable crackers

Can Vegetable Crackers Help You Lose Weight

Vegetable crackers are a healthy option, but on the issue of weight loss, vegetable crackers can’t help you lose weight. Your exact calorie needs for weight loss depend on many factors, including your age, gender and activity. To lose weight, you need to create a negative calorie balance by eating fewer calories than your body burns.

Vegetable crackers aren’t the best choice when you’re trying to lose weight and reduce your chronic disease risks. But you can always include specific varieties of healthy vegetable crackers to your diet.

Are Heb Crackers Vegan

HEB is not a vegan diet. A typical vegan diet comprises an eating plan that excludes all animal or animal-derived foods. HEB crackers are not a vegan diet as the ingredients used in their production are not free from animal-based products. They contain wheat and soy. These two ingredients turn out to be the reason why HEB crackers aren’t considered part of a vegan diet as wheat and soy are manufactured in a facility that processes milk, egg, peanut, and tree nuts. HEB ingredients include the following; 

Unbleached enriched flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Corn Syrup, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Natural Flavor, Soybean Oil and/or Palm Oil, Sugar, Leavening (Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Bicarbonate).

Vegetable Crackers Oven Recipe

Vegetable crackers oven illustrates a simple and easy way to make your vegetable crackers using an oven. Basically with the ingredients mentioned above, the procedure/recipe below can be followed to your own taste to create your special vegetable crackers.

Procedure

1. Pre-soak your chia seeds and sun-dried tomatoes for at least 3 hours. Drain any excess water from the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 300F convection. Place the chia seeds and hemp seeds in a very large bowl.

2. Now, blend the remaining ingredients (everything but the chia and hemp seeds) in a high-speed blender, and blend until evenly combined and fairly smooth. 

3. Then add into the large bowl and mix properly.

4. Spread onto a silicon baking mat (or parchment paper*) 1/8″ thick (or as thin as you can get them without holes). Carefully score with a sharp knife into 1 1/2″ squares. Try not dragging the knife down but cutting into them in sections.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and dry, then remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Using a thin edged [metal] spatula, flip the crackers, trying to avoid squishing them.

5. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until crispy.

NOTE: To improve the quality of your vegetable oven baked crackers, it is advisable to spread out the batter even thinner.

i.  Set the oven to convection, and turn up the cooking time. 

ii. Flax seed can be used in place of chia seed.

Conclusion

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends incorporating vegetables into your diet to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and enrich your body with the nutrients it needs to stay fit and healthy. Vegetable crackers are just a perfect option, as they provide a good number of vegetables to meet your body’s needs as well as make you full and satisfied. Vegetable crackers typically deliver some of the benefits of eating vegetables in a snack format that’s convenient, tasty and is one of the ultimate superfoods because they’re nutritious as well as an easy-reach snack whenever you feel hungry.