Can you spot the ultraprocessed foods?

Take a virtual shopping trip to learn more about what's on grocery store shelves.

Cheez-It Snack Mix, Lunch Snacks, Classic
Snacks, Chips & Dips
📊 NOVA 4

Cheez-It Snack Mix, Lunch Snacks, Classic

Cheez-It
9 oz
Available at Foodtown
100
Calories
2g
Protein
220mg
Sodium
251
Ingredients

What You Should Know

Cheez-It Snack Mix Classic is a mainstream, shelf-stable snack blend you’d find in the crackers and salty snacks aisle, often shelved near single-serve chips, party mixes, and lunchbox items. The 9 oz pouch—brightly branded in Cheez-It’s signature orange—promises a handful of crunchy variety: cheese crackers, pretzels, mini toast slices, wheat squares and cheese-flavored rice puffs. It’s marketed for grab-and-go moments—toss a bag in a tote, stash one in a desk drawer, or slip it into a child’s lunch. The brand leans on nostalgia and convenience, invoking the long-standing Cheez-It identity as a family-friendly, cheese-forward snack; target demographic spans parents packing lunches, commuters, and adults chasing familiar comfort snacks. Label claims are modestly health-adjacent—“made with 100% real cheese” appears as a quality cue—but there are no organic or “natural” certifications, and the design skews playful rather than health-focused to appeal to kids and casual snackers. In plain processing context, this is a heavily processed packaged snack composed of refined grains, oils, flavored powders, and shelf-life additives. Sensory impressions: a crunchy, brittle-to-salty bite profile with a mix of flaky crackers, hard pretzels and airy rice puffs delivering varied textures and a savory, umami-forward cheese seasoning. Rituals around this product include popping a pouch during a road trip, sharing a bowl at a casual gathering, or grabbing a quick desk snack—convenient, communal, and engineered for predictable flavor and crunch.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1
Servings per Container: 12
Calories100
% Daily Value*
Total Fat3.5g4%
Saturated Fat0.5g3%
Sodium220mg10%
Total Carbohydrate14g5%
Protein2g
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Ingredients

Ingredients:, Cheese, Crackers, (Enriched, Flour, [Wheat, Flour,, Niacin,, Reduced, Iron,, Vitamin, B1, (Thiamin, Mononitrate),, Vitamin, B2, (Riboflavin),, Folic, Acid],, Vegetable, Oil, [High, Oleic, Soybean,, Soybean,, Palm,, And/Or, Canola, With, Tbhq, For, Freshness],, Cheese, Made, With, Skim, Milk, [Skim, Milk,, Whey, Protein,, Salt,, Cheese, Cultures,, Enzymes,, Annatto, Extract, Color],, Salt,, Paprika,, Yeast,, Paprika, Extract, Color,, Soy, Lecithin),, Pretzels, (Enriched, Flour, [Wheat, Flour,, Niacin,, Reduced, Iron,, Vitamin, B1, (Thiamin, Mononitrate),, Vitamin, B2, (Riboflavin),, Folic, Acid],, Salt,, Canola, And/Or, Sunflower, Oil,, Corn, Syrup,, Baking, Soda,, Barley, Malt, Extract,, Yeast),, Bread, Slices, (Enriched, Flour, [Wheat, Flour,, Niacin,, Reduced, Iron,, Vitamin, B1, (Thiamin, Mononitrate),, Vitamin, B2, (Riboflavin),, Folic, Acid],, Canola, And/Or, Soybean, Oil,, Salt,, Yeast,, Sugar,, Malt,, Wheat, Gluten,, Worcestershire, Sauce, Powder, [Molasses,, Vinegar,, Corn, Syrup,, Caramel, Color,, Garlic,, Sugar,, Spices,, Tamarind,, Natural, Flavor,, Maltodextrin],, Dextrose,, Spice,, Garlic, Powder,, Onion, Powder,, Baking, Soda,, Yeast, Extract,, Disodium, Inosinate,, Disodium, Guanylate),, Cheese, Flavored, Rice, Balls, (Rice, Flour,, Vegetable, Oil, [Canola,, Rice,, Safflower, And/Or, Sunflower],, Maltodextrin,, Salt,, Whey,, Cheddar, Cheese, [Cultured, Pasteurized, Milk,, Salt,, Enzymes],, Reduced, Lactose, Whey,, Buttermilk,, Natural, Flavor,, Onion, Powder,, Sugar,, Disodium, Phosphate,, Garlic, Powder,, Yeast, Extract,, Citric, Acid,, Blue, Cheese, [Milk,, Cheese, Cultures,, Salt,, Enzymes],, Lactic, Acid)., Contains, 2%, Or, Less, Of, Soybean, Oil, With, Tbhq, For, Freshness,, Worcestershire, Seasoning, (Monosodium, Glutamate,, Salt,, Corn, Syrup, Solids,, Sugar,, Maltodextrin,, Torula, Yeast,, Garlic, Powder,, Worcestershire, Sauce, [Molasses,, Vinegar,, Corn, Syrup,, Salt,, Caramel, Color,, Garlic,, Sugar,, Spices,, Tamarind,, Natural, Flavor],, Onion, Powder,, Molasses,, Modified, Food, Starch,, Vinegar,, Wheat, Starch,, Caramel, Color,, Spice,, Disodium, Inosinate,, Disodium, Guanylate,, Soy, Flour)..

Flagged Ingredients:

  • High Oleic Soybean - Seed oil high in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Soybean - Seed oil high in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Canola - Seed oil high in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Safflower - Seed oil high in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Sunflower - Seed oil high in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Soy Lecithin - Processed emulsifier
  • Tbhq - Synthetic preservative
  • Annatto Extract Color - Artificial coloring
  • Paprika Extract Color - Artificial coloring
  • Caramel Color - Artificial coloring
No Seed OilNo EmulsifierNo PreservativeNo Additive

Dietary Labels

This product is not vegan, is not gluten-free, and is not organic.

Ultra-Processing Assessment

NOVA Score:4 / 4

Ultra-Processed

Why this score?

Long ingredient list dominated by refined flours, industrial oils, flavorings, preservatives and additives (e.g., TBHQ, maltodextrin, MSG, disodium inosinate/guanylate) indicates industrial formulations and manufacturing processes characteristic of ultraprocessed foods.

Daily Ritual

Can you Spot Ultraprocessed Foods? Play our Supermarket Game

Take a virtual shopping trip to learn more about what's on grocery store shelves.

Shopping in the supermarket oil aisle

Others also viewed

Common Questions about Cheez-It Snack Mix, Lunch Snacks, Classic

The term 'healthy' can be pretty subjective, right? When we think about Cheez-It Snack Mix, it’s a tasty treat that offers a crunchy, cheesy experience, but it’s not a powerhouse of nutrients. With 100 calories per serving and some sodium content, it's more of an indulgent snack than a health food. But hey, enjoying it in moderation can totally fit into a balanced diet!

Perfect For

road-trip
back-to-school
movie-night
game-day-prep

Vibe:

nostalgicconvenientindulgentcomforting
$NaN
per package