Is Mary's Gone Crackers Clean?

The Short Answer

It depends entirely on which box you grab.

The Original and Super Seed crackers are arguably the cleanest crackers on the market. They are a "unicorn" product: zero added oils, zero sugar, and certified organic. They get their fat content naturally from whole flax and sesame seeds, which is the gold standard for metabolic health.

However, the Real Thin line is a bait-and-switch. These crackers are ultra-processed and contain palm fruit shortening, cane sugar, sunflower oil, and gums. They are essentially a "health-washed" version of a Wheat Thin.

Verdict: Buy the Original/Super Seed. Leave the Real Thin on the shelf.

Why This Matters

Most crackers are just flour and inflammatory oil baked into a crisp. Even "healthy" brands like Simple Mills or Hu rely on added oils (sunflower or coconut) to bind their ingredients. Oils In Crackers

Mary's Original line is different because it uses whole food fats. Instead of pouring cheap seed oil into the dough, they mix in whole flax and sesame seeds. When you eat the cracker, you're eating the fiber, protein, and antioxidants of the seed along with the fat. This blunts the blood sugar spike and provides stable energy.

What's Actually In Them

The ingredients vary drastically between their product lines.

The Good: Original & Super Seed

These lists are impeccable. No fillers, no oils, no weird stuff.

• Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa — Whole grains that form the base.
• Organic Flax & Sesame Seeds — Provide the "glue" and the fat source naturally. Crackers No Seed Oils
• Organic Tamari — Used for saltiness (contains soy).
• Filtered Water & Sea Salt — That's it.

The Bad: "Real Thin" Crackers

This list reads like a standard processed snack.

• MGC Flour Blend — Processed flours (Tapioca, Brown Rice, etc.) rather than whole grains.
• Palm Fruit Shortening — A highly processed solid fat used to mimic the texture of buttery crackers.
• Tapioca Syrup & Cane Sugar — Added sweeteners that have no place in a savory cracker.
• Sunflower Oil — The very seed oil we usually try to avoid. Seed Oils
• Xanthan Gum — An emulsifier that can cause bloating in sensitive guts.

The Heavy Metal "Caution"

We have to address the elephant in the room: Heavy Metals.

In late 2024, independent testing from Lead Safe Mama found concerning levels of Lead, Cadmium, and Arsenic in Mary's Gone Crackers Original flavor.

Why is this happening?

It's not that Mary's is adding lead. Brown rice is notorious for absorbing heavy metals from soil, more so than other grains. Because Mary's crackers are dense and rice-based, the concentrations can be higher than in lighter, fluffier snacks.

Should you panic?

No, but you should rotate your grains. If you eat rice crackers every single day, you may be overexposed. Treat them as a part of a varied diet, not your only carb source.

What to Look For

Green Flags (Original Line):

• No Added Oil — The fat comes 100% from seeds.
• Glyphosate Residue Free — Certified by The Detox Project (very rare for grain products).
• Short Ingredient List — You can replicate the recipe in your own kitchen.

Red Flags (Real Thin Line):

• "Shortening" — Code for processed solid fat.
• Added Sugar — Look for "cane sugar" or "tapioca syrup."
• Flour Blends — Usually means the fiber has been stripped away.

The Best Options

If you want the crunch without the junk, here is how the lineup compares.

The Bottom Line

1. Check the Box Shape. Square box (Original/Super Seed) = Good. Rectangular box (Real Thin) = Bad.

2. Don't Fear the Seeds. The fat in the Original crackers is healthy, whole-food fat.

3. Rotate Your Snacks. Due to the brown rice content, don't eat these exclusively. Mix in grain-free options like Simple Mills (almond flour) or Flackers (flax only) to minimize heavy metal exposure. Simple Mills Vs Marys

FAQ

Are Mary's Gone Crackers glyphosate-free?

Yes. They are one of the few cracker brands certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project. This means they are tested by third-party labs to ensure they don't contain toxic herbicide residues.

Do they use seed oils?

It depends. The Original and Super Seed lines contain no added oils. The Real Thin line contains sunflower oil and palm shortening. Always read the label. Oils In Crackers

Why do they have a Prop 65 warning?

This is due to the heavy metals (lead/cadmium) found in brown rice and seeds. These metals naturally occur in soil and are absorbed by crops. California's Prop 65 requires a warning if levels exceed extremely low thresholds.

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