Reader Food Panel: Kellogg’s offers All-Bran Crackers

Crackers are great.

They’re tasty and convenient. They’re a good excuse to eat fancy cheese. And they’re as much at home on an elegant wedding reception spread as they are clutched in your hand as you’re sprawled out on the couch watching “Cops.”

While crackers aren’t exactly bad for you, they usually aren’t considered health food, either.

Kellogg’s is hoping to assuage consumers’ cracker-binge guilt with two new products marketed under its familiar All-Bran cereal brand.

Like their namesake, these crackers do have relatively high fiber content at 5 grams per serving (20 percent of the amount recommended for a 2,000-calorie diet). By comparison, Ritz crackers contain 2 grams of fiber per serving, Wheat Thins only 1 gram.

But don’t read too much into the name. The crackers have only half as much fiber per serving as the cereal. Wheat bran is near the bottom of the Multi-Grain’s ingredient list, and the Garlic Herb variety doesn’t contain any bran at all.

Some of our tasters liked the crackers, others not so much, resulting in a perfectly average three stars for taste and value for both varieties.

Several tasters noticed a cinnamon flavor in the Multi-Grain crackers, even though cinnamon is the second-to-last ingredient on a rather lengthy list. And many were quick to identify the high fiber content in both crackers.

All-Bran Crackers: Multi-Grain

Price: $2.79 for a 10-ounce box

Nutrition per serving (18 crackers): 130 calories, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 2 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams dietary fiber, no cholesterol, 270 milligrams sodium.

Taste: “““

Value: “““

Comments: “A sweet cracker, faint tinge of cinnamon.” – Marilyn Moore

“Cinnamon cardboard – don’t waste your calories!” – Nancy Robinson

“Crackers should be salty, not sweet.” – Skip Hubbard

“Weakly flavored, hardly noteworthy, may be healthy.” – Andy Hoye

“Reminds me of graham crackers.” – Jenny Whittaker

“A little on the bland side.” – Larry Inman

“Good crunch but not much flavor. … Too many better options.” – Tina Johnson

All-Bran Crackers: Garlic Herb

Price: $2.79 for a 10-ounce box

Nutrition per serving (18 crackers): 120 calories, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 3 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams dietary fiber, no cholesterol, 330 milligrams sodium.

Taste: “““

Value: “““

Comments: “Wondered if Mrs. Dash was sprinkled on the top.” – Marilyn Moore

“Like eating cardboard or sawdust with green spots in them.” – Nancy Robinson

“Nice earthy flavor with just right amount of crunch.” – Skip Hubbard

“C’mon … this is bland.” – Andy Hoye

“These taste like they are packed with fiber.” – Jenny Whittaker

“Very grainy tasting with not much flavor.” – Peggy Kazanis