Cheez-It vs Goldfish: Which Cheese Cracker Wins?
Two of the most-bought cheese crackers in America, head-to-head — and the honest finding up front is that they're nearly the same cracker. Both carry 3g of protein per serving, both are built on refined flour with cheese as a flavor note, and both fail the sodium dimension. Goldfish edges ahead by a single point on saturated fat; Cheez-It quietly wins on sodium and ingredients. Every number below is pulled live from each product's graded fact sheet.
The short answer
Goldfish Cheddar is the technical winner at C+ (66/100), and the reason is narrow: it's baked with less saturated fat (0.999g per serving vs Cheez-It's 2g), which is a heavily weighted dimension. It's also slightly fewer calories per serving (140 vs 150). That's the whole margin.
Cheez-It Original lands at C+ (65/100), one point back — but it isn't out-classed, it's out-scored on a single axis. Cheez-It actually carries less sodium (230mg vs Goldfish's 250mg) and earns the cleaner ingredient grade (B- vs C+, since Goldfish picks up an added-phosphate flag). Those two wins just don't quite outweigh the saturated-fat gap.
The real story isn't who wins — it's that the gap is noise. Both are 3g-protein, refined-flour, "made with real cheese" snacks that grade in the C range because the flour is ingredient number one and the salt earns an F. Pick on taste and portion, not on the one-point score difference. For a cracker that does more nutritional work, look outside the cheese aisle entirely (more on that below).
Side-by-side
| Cheez-It Original | Goldfish Cheddar | |
|---|---|---|
| Labelgrade | C+ 65 / 100 | C+ 66 / 100 |
| Serving size | 30 g | 30 g |
| Protein per serving | 3 g | 3 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 10 g | 10 g |
| Calories per serving | 150 | 140 |
| Calories per g protein | 50 | 46.7 |
| Saturated fat per serving | 2 g | 0.999 g |
| Sodium per serving | 230 mg | 250 mg |
| Sodium per 100 g | 767 mg | 833 mg |
| Total sugar | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fiber per serving | 0.99 g | 0.99 g |
| First ingredient | Enriched flour | Enriched wheat flour |
| Protein density grade | C+ | C+ |
| Ingredient quality grade | B- | C+ |
| Saturated fat grade | C | B |
| Sodium grade | F | F |
| Sugar grade | A+ | A+ |
| Fiber grade | D | D |
Where Cheez-It wins
- Lower sodium. 230mg per serving vs Goldfish's 250mg — about 767mg per 100g against 833mg. Both still grade an F, but if salt is your concern, Cheez-It is the marginally lighter pour.
- Cleaner ingredient panel. Cheez-It earns B- on ingredient quality to Goldfish's C+. Goldfish's list runs longer and picks up a flag for added phosphates (monocalcium phosphate) plus yeast extract; Cheez-It's is the shorter, more recognizable of the two.
- The sharper cheese hit. Subjective, but Cheez-It's whole-square format and heavier cheese-oil coating give it a more intense, savory bite — the reason its fans don't consider Goldfish a substitute. It's the snack-for-adults of the pair.
Where Goldfish wins
- Less saturated fat. 0.999g per serving (grade B) vs Cheez-It's 2g (grade C). Goldfish is baked with less oil, and this is the single dimension that wins it the overall point.
- Slightly fewer calories. 140 calories per serving vs 150 — and a touch more efficient at 46.7 calories per gram of protein vs 50. A small edge, but a real one if you're counting.
- The kid-snack default. Milder, smiley-shaped, and lower in fat — Goldfish is the more lunchbox-friendly of the two, and its low saturated fat is a genuine point in its favor for everyday snacking.
Where it's a tie
- Protein. Both list 3g per serving and 10g per 100g — a token amount in both cases, grading C+ and C+. Neither is a protein source.
- Sugar. Both are effectively zero sugar and both score A+/A+ — the bright spot they share.
- Fiber. 0.99g vs 0.99g — both grade D/D, the near-zero fiber you'd expect from a refined-flour base.
- The foundation. Both lead with enriched (refined) flour and use real cheese as a flavoring, not a base. Structurally, they're the same kind of cracker.
Which should you buy
Buy Goldfish if you want the lower-saturated-fat, lower-calorie option, you're packing a kid's lunch, or you simply prefer the milder, poppable shape. It's the technical winner, and its saturated-fat edge is a legitimate reason to reach for it over Cheez-It.
Buy Cheez-It if you want the sharper, more intense cheese flavor, you're watching sodium specifically, or you prefer the slightly cleaner ingredient list. It loses the overall by a point, but on the two dimensions it wins — sodium and ingredients — it genuinely wins.
Honestly, though, flip a coin. A one-point gap between a C+ and a C+ is statistical noise dressed up as a verdict. These are the same cracker with different silhouettes — refined flour, real cheese for flavor, an F on sodium, 3g of protein. Buy the one you like the taste of and measure the portion into a bowl instead of eating from the box, because with either, the second handful is where the sodium quietly stacks up. If you want a cracker that earns a better grade, the move is to leave the category — see the crackers report card for where the whole-grain options rank.
How they were graded
Both products use the v3 6-dimension Labelgrade formula (see /methodology): protein density 23% + ingredient quality 21% + saturated fat 18% + sodium 15% + sugar 15% + fiber 8%. Cheez-It data from USDA FDC 2087644; Goldfish data from USDA FDC 2732705. Every figure on this page is read live from each product's record at build time, so the numbers can't drift out of sync with the individual fact sheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is healthier — Cheez-It or Goldfish?
Neither, in any meaningful sense, and the grades say so: Cheez-It scores C+ (65/100) and Goldfish scores C+ (66/100) on the same v3 formula — a single point apart. Both are built on enriched (refined) flour as the first ingredient, both carry 3g of protein per serving, and both land a failing sodium grade. Goldfish edges ahead only because it's baked with less saturated fat. If "healthier" is the question, the honest answer is that this is a near-tie between two snacks you eat for taste, not nutrition.
Which has more sodium?
Goldfish, narrowly. Goldfish lists 250mg of sodium per 30g serving (about 833mg per 100g) versus Cheez-It's 230mg per 30g (about 767mg per 100g). Both score an F on the sodium dimension — Cheez-It at 27/100, Goldfish at 23/100 — so this is the one dimension where Cheez-It quietly comes out ahead. The catch with either is the serving: almost nobody eats exactly one portion and stops, and a second handful doubles the salt.
Do either of these have "real cheese"?
Both do, and both lean on the phrase. Cheese is real in each, but it's a flavoring, not the foundation — enriched flour is the first ingredient in both, with cheese listed after. That's why the protein is a token 3g and the calcium is negligible. The cheese is what makes them taste good; it is not what makes either a source of protein or calcium. Read "made with real cheese" as a flavor claim, not a nutrition one.
Which has the cleaner ingredient list?
Cheez-It, slightly. Cheez-It scores B- on ingredient quality versus Goldfish's C+. Both start with enriched flour and vegetable oil, but Goldfish's panel picks up a flag for added phosphates (monocalcium phosphate) and runs longer with yeast extract and assorted spices, which drops it a grade. Neither list is bad — there are no artificial sweeteners or colors-of-concern — but Cheez-It's is the marginally shorter, cleaner one.
Why does Goldfish win if Cheez-It has lower sodium and cleaner ingredients?
Because the one dimension Goldfish wins — saturated fat — happens to be weighted heavily (18% of the score). Goldfish carries 0.999g of saturated fat per serving (grade B) versus Cheez-It's 2g (grade C), and that gap is enough to overcome Cheez-It's edges on sodium and ingredients. The result is a 66-to-65 finish — the definition of a coin-flip. The trade-offs cancel; pick on taste.
What cracker should I buy instead if I want a better grade?
Step out of the cheese-cracker category. Triscuit Original scores a B- (73/100) with a three-ingredient whole-grain list — whole-grain wheat, oil, and salt — and no refined flour. It won't taste like cheddar, but if you want a cracker that does more nutritional work for a similar crunch, it's the honest upgrade from either of these. See our <a href="/report-card/crackers">crackers report card</a> for the full ranked list.