Analysis of Enriched Flour in Cheez Its Original Snack Crackers

Enriched flour, a primary ingredient in Cheez-Its Original Snack Crackers, has undergone processing that removes the bran and germ of the grain. This removes most of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is then enriched, or infused, with certain nutrients to make up for some of the loss. However, the process does not restore all the original nutrients that were present in the whole grain. Moreover, because it lacks fiber, it can lead to unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels when consumed, posing risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, it has a high glycemic index which means it can unexpectedly spike your blood sugar levels. Regular consumption of high-glycemic foods can lead to increased risk for both heart disease and diabetes. Upon analyzing, Cheez-Its Original Snack Crackers enriched flour provides little nutritional value except for some B vitamins and iron added back into the flour. Enriched flour forms the base of the cracker, so consuming a large portion equates to a relatively high intake of this refined grain. Enriched flour is void of the beneficial fiber and many nutrients found in whole grain flour and can possibly contribute to weight gain and blood sugar instability if eaten in large amounts. This is especially true if it's not balanced with other, more nutrient-rich foods in the context of an overall balanced, moderate diet. Adding more nutrients artificially does boost the vitamin content but it doesn't make it a healthy ingredient. This is because regular consumption over time can potentially lead to long term health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. It's worth noting that Cheez-Its Original Snack Crackers does contain some dairy, providing a small amount of calcium, and likely some B vitamins, but these contributions to nutritional value do not outweigh the potential negative impact of the enriched flour and other ingredients like high levels of sodium and fats. Taking all these into consideration, for nutritional value, enriched flour as used in Cheez It's Original Snack Crackers gets the following score: Higher scores would be awarded to whole grain ingredients, which have resulted in a larger nutrient profile and health benefits. As always, moderation in consumption is key.