People who love to snack but have shied away from eating junk food probably have had experience with munching on Wheat Thins instead. After all, not only are they baked instead of deep-fried, but they are high in fiber with a low-calorie content, which obviously makes them the better alternative.
If you’ve just switched to veganism, you may find yourself wondering whether or not this snack fits the vegan diet. Are Wheat Thins vegan? Let’s see!
Wheat Thins - Vegan or Not?
Nabisco Wheat Thins have been gracing grocery shelves ever since they were introduced in 1947.
Rather than marketing itself as wheat crackers (which requires an accompanying cheese or dip to be enjoyed), it refers to itself as a snack instead, meant to be eaten alone.
A quick look at the ingredient list would tell you loud and clear that Original Wheat Thins are vegan.
So if you’re a vegan contemplating on which snack to choose in the snack aisle, a box of Original Wheat Thins is A-okay.
However, not all Wheat Thins flavors fit the vegan lifestyle. Non-vegan Wheat Thins flavors include Ranch Flavor, Chili Cheese Flavor, Smokey BBQ Flavor, Honey Mustard Flavor. These contain cheddar cheese powder, sour cream powder, honey solids, and other non-vegan flavors.
What It’s Made Of
The base Wheat Thins are made from pretty straightforward ingredients with absolutely no animal products. They are made with 100 percent whole grain wheat flour, which doctors highly recommend for supporting and maintaining a healthy weight, with no artificial colors or flavors added.
Here’s the full list of ingredients based on the Wheat Thins website:
- Whole grain wheat flour
- Canola oil
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Malt syrup (from corn and barley)
- Salt
- Refiner’s syrup
- Leavening (calcium phosphate and baking soda)
- BHT
9 Wheat Thins Vegan Flavors
Wheat Thins Original
As mentioned above, the Original Wheat Thins are safe for vegan diets. You probably will have noticed the BHT ingredient on the labeling (which you may be unfamiliar with), but this ingredient is simply an antioxidant that is made industrially via chemical synthesis. Try this with our special white bean dip!
Wheat Thins Hint of Salt (Low Sodium)
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Cornstarch, Malt Syrup (from Corn and Barley), Invert Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Color (Annatto Extract, Turmeric Oleoresin).
The Hint of Salt uses the same ingredients as the Original variant, with sea salt (a vegan ingredient) added. This means that the Hint of Salt is 100 percent vegan. It’s also great for non-vegans who are watching their salt intake.
Wheat Thins Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Canola Oil, Sugar, Cornstarch, Malt Syrup (From Corn And Barley), Salt, Refiner's Syrup, Black Pepper, Leavening (Calcium Phosphate And Baking Soda), Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Olive Oil, Natural Flavors (Contains Celery). BHT Added To Packaging Material To Preserve Freshness
Thankfully, our favorite Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Wheat Thins are vegan. Aside from the base ingredients, these are flavored with dried green bell peppers, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and citric acid for a unique, lip-smacking taste.
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Cornstarch, Maltodextrin, Malt Syrup (from Corn and Barley), Refiner's Syrup, Salt, Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Cayenne Pepper, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Garlic), Leavening (Calcium Phosphate and/or Baking Soda), Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Yeast Extract, Vegetable Color (Paprika Extract, Turmeric Oleoresin, Annatto Extract), Spice. BHT Added to Packaging Material to Preserve Freshness
Don’t ask us how this happened, but the Spicy Buffalo Wheat Thins have absolutely no animal products in the ingredients list. Imagine the Original variant flavored with refiner’s syrup salt, cayenne pepper sauce, tomato powder, garlic powder, and citric acid -- voila, you have Spicy Buffalo!
Wheat Thins Reduced Fat
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Sugar, Oil, Cornstarch, Malt Syrup (From Corn And Barley), Salt, Refiner's Syrup, Leavening (Calcium Phosphate And Baking Soda). Bht Added To Packaging Material To Preserve Freshness.
The Reduced Fat option is for those who want an even healthier version of the Original Wheat Thins. These have 30 percent less fat than the original variety while maintaining their all-vegan ingredients and exceptional taste.
Wheat Thins Sundried Tomato & Basil
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Oil, Sugar, Cornstarch, Malt Syrup (From Corn And Barley), Refiner's Syrup, Salt, Leavening (Calcium Phosphate And Baking Soda), Tomato Powder, Sundried Tomato Powder, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Spices (Includes Basil), Onion Powder, Dried Red And Green Bell Peppers, Yeast Extract, Annatto Extract, Natural Flavor (Contains Celery), Sulfur Dioxide (Sulfites) To Preserve Freshness. Bht Added To Packaging Material To Preserve Freshness
A couple of things that stood out in the Sundried Tomato and Basil Wheat Thins ingredients are the caramel color and natural flavor, which vegans might express an automatic aversion to. Caramel color differs greatly from the actual caramel and is actually vegan. It’s made from boiling simple sugars like glucose, fructose, malt syrup, or molasses, to achieve the caramel color. On the other hand, caramel is made from heating milk, which is not a vegan ingredient.
Furthermore, natural flavor can raise a few vegan eyebrows. While it’s true that natural flavor comes mostly from fruits and vegetables, this is actually an umbrella term for flavor that comes from natural sources, including dairy, eggs, and even meat.
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Whole Grain Barley Flakes, Canola Oil, Sugar, Whole Grain Rye, Whole Grain Triticale, Molasses, Whole Grain Millet, Whole Grain Wheat, Salt, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Onion Powder, Soy Lecithin, Leavening (Baking Soda And/Or Calcium Phosphate). BHT Added To Packaging Material To Preserve Freshness
Multigrain Wheat Thins are made from the same ingredients as the Original, with the addition of multigrain flour. This variant is also vegan approved.
Wheat Thins Zesty Salsa
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Cornstarch, Malt Syrup (From Corn And Barley), Salt, Refiner's Syrup, Dried Green Bell Peppers, Leavening (Calcium Phosphate And/Or Baking Soda), Spices (Includes Parsley), Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Distilled Vinegar, Natural Flavor, Vegetable Color (Turmeric Oleoresin, Annatto Extract)
Yes, the Zesty Salsa variant of Wheat Thins is vegan! Dried green bell peppers, refiner’s syrup, garlic powder, onion powder, and vegetable color make up the unique Wheat Thins Zesty Salsa flavor.
Wheat Thins Multigrain Toasted Chips
Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Cornstarch, Oatmeal (whole Grain Oats), Malt Syrup (from Corn And Barley), Salt, Leavening (Calcium Phosphate And/or Baking Soda), Whole Grain Barley Flakes, Whole Grain Rye, Whole Grain Triticale, Whole Grain Millet, Onion Powder
The Wheat Thins Multigrain Toasted Chips would give unhealthy potato chips a run for their money. Other than the traditional Wheat Thins ingredients, these contain vegan multigrain flour, including whole grain millet, whole grain rye, whole grain triticale, and whole grain rolled oats.
Ingredients That Are Non-Vegan
Milk/Buttermilk
Milk is one of the most popular non-vegan products. This ingredient is derived from cows, and plenty of dairy products use it as a building block, including ice cream, cultured milk, and cheese. Thankfully, there are plenty of dairy-free milk options in the market today, with options like soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk.
Honey
Honey has always been a controversial non-vegan ingredient. [1] It is obtained from bees, which store them during winter to act as a food source. Beekeepers replace this food source with corn syrup and other honey substitutes instead, which have contributed enormously to the decline of bee colonies over the years. Bees don’t get the same nutrients to sustain them from corn syrup as they do from natural honey.
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Sugar
Most vegans are unaware that sugar is a common non-vegan ingredient. Refined sugar goes through bone char filtering, which is made from charred bones of cattle and livestock. Sugar beets or organic cane sugar are better options.
Artificial Flavors
Although artificial flavors are always synthetically produced, they often undergo animal testing to confirm that they’re safe for human consumption. This practice makes them non-vegan, as all vegans shy away from all animal cruelty or abuse.
Whey Protein
Whey is a byproduct of cheese production, which means this is definitely not a vegan ingredient. This ingredient is found in many cheddar cheese flavored biscuits and chips as it’s relatively inexpensive to produce.
FAQs
Yes, in a way. Wheat Thins are healthy, especially if you eat them in moderation. They have zero cholesterol and are high in protein and fiber, which are essential nutrients for your body. However, they are quite high in sodium, so it might not be a good idea to snack on these daily.
Yes, we totally agree: Wheat Thins are definitely healthier than chips. Chips are usually deep-fried in oil, and numerous studies have linked fried food to obesity and heart disease. On the other hand, Wheat Thins are baked and made from 100 percent whole grains.
So if you want to grab a bag of chips, we recommend making do with Wheat Thins instead.
So, Are Wheat Thins Vegan?
Ultimately, Wheat Thins are vegan and can be consumed by everyone on a vegan diet. Just take note of the variations mentioned above to take the whole guessing work out of choosing Wheat Thins.
Thankfully, more Wheat Thins brands are vegan than not, making us genuinely happy in the vegan community. Fewer exclusions for us!
Reference:
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-honey-vegan
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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