Are Cracker Jacks Bad For You?
Short answer
Cracker Jacks are not the healthiest snack out there. Popcorn can be healthy, but not when it’s candy coated in sugar and texture enhancing chemicals.
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
We have to remember that there is almost always something unhealthy found in processed foods, whether it be artificial flavors, genetically modified ingredients, preservatives, monosodium glutamate (MSG) or whatever it may be. Quick snacks and processed foods are usually made with cheap ingredients that make them taste really good but aren’t that good for you.
In this case, Cracker Jacks doesn’t contain gluten, casein, lactose or MSG and is considered completely kosher. However, we should take note of the added ingredient soy lecithin. This is a chemically produced emulsifier used to alter the look and taste of the food, giving it a smoother texture. Soy lecithin is very commonly used in processed foods to bind watery substances and oily substances together. So this is nothing more than a lab-made ingredient to enhance the appearance of cheap food.
Soybean oil, another soy product, is also used in the Cracker Jack recipe. Generally, soy is not all that healthy to consume. First off, most soybeans are genetically modified (GMO) and sprayed with poisonous pesticides.
Second are the harmful side effects of eating soy products. Besides the fact that many are allergic to soy, studies have reported that soy can cause hormonal imbalances in the body, change in mood, adverse effects to the reproductive system and poor brain development for fetuses and young children.
Let’s not forget the sugar. Cracker Jacks contain 3 different types of sugars: “normal” sugar (which is usually made from GMO sugar beets and not pure cane sugar), high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and molasses.
HFCS is widely used because it’s sweeter and more inexpensive to produce than regular sugar. The interesting thing is that HFCS is actually worse for your body than regular sugar. This is because the calories from fructose are not used for energy in the body, rather they are sent to the liver to get rid of it. This causes stress on the body and creates harmful side effects such as hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, obesity, insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes), a fatty liver and an unsatisfied appetite.
Moreover, a serving size of Cracker Jacks for a normal sized bag is only 1/2 cup and each bag contains 3 servings. So if you were hungry and decided to eat the whole thing it would be 360 calories, 6g of fat, 210mg of sodium, 69g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, 6g of protein and a whopping 45g of sugar.
Possible short-term side effects
- allergic reaction from peanuts or soy
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sugar-rush
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increased fat production
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stomach ache
Possible long-term side effects
- hormonal imbalances
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change in mood
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damage to reproductive system
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poor brain development for fetuses and children
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hypertension (high blood pressure)
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heart disease
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obesity
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insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes)
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fatty liver
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overeating
Ingredients to be aware of
Healthier alternatives
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