Are Goldfish Healthier Than Cheez-Its? Labels Compared per 30 g

Per 30 g serving, Cheez-It Original has 150 calories and 8 g of fat, and Goldfish Cheddar has 140 calories and 5 g of fat. Goldfish has more sodium (250 mg vs 230 mg) and carbohydrate (20 g vs 17 g). Both have 3 g of protein. On the ingredient list, Cheez-It's oil includes TBHQ, which Goldfish does not list.

Key takeaways:

• At an identical 30-gram serving weight, Cheez-It contains 150 calories and 8 g of fat, while Goldfish contains 140 calories and 5 g of fat.
• Cheez-It uses TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) as an antioxidant preservative in its oil blend, whereas Goldfish does not list TBHQ.
• Goldfish delivers slightly more sodium (250 mg vs 230 mg) and carbohydrates (20 g vs 17 g) per 30-gram serving than Cheez-It.
• Both crackers contain 3 grams of protein and list annatto in their cheese; Cheez-It also lists soybean oil and soy lecithin.

Cheez-It vs Goldfish: The Short Answer

Are Cheez-Its or Goldfish healthier? Neither label wins on every line. Per 30 g, Goldfish Cheddar has fewer calories and less fat, while Cheez-It Original has less sodium and fewer carbohydrates. The clearest ingredient difference is TBHQ, which Cheez-It lists in its oil and Goldfish does not.

Nutrition Breakdown: Calories, Fat, and Carbs Side-by-Side

Cheez-It vs Goldfish nutrition comparisons reveal that Cheez-It has more calories, delivering 150 calories per 30-gram serving (27 crackers) compared to 140 calories in an identical 30-gram serving of Goldfish (55 pieces).

Cheez-It carries 8 grams of total fat per serving, including 1.5 grams of saturated fat. In contrast, Goldfish contains 5 grams of total fat, with 1 gram of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat.

On the carbohydrate side, Goldfish provides 20 grams of total carbohydrates (with less than 1 gram of dietary fiber and 0 grams of added sugars), while Cheez-It contains 17 grams of carbohydrates (with 1 gram of fiber and 0 grams of added sugars). Both snacks supply an identical 3 grams of protein per 30 grams. For shoppers tracking packaged snack profiles across categories, exploring 6 Snacks People Scan Most, and What Their Labels Say and 5 Lunchbox Snacks Scanned: String Cheese to Fig Bars provides broader context on everyday pantry staples.

Which Has More Sodium, Cheez-It or Goldfish?

Goldfish has more sodium than Cheez-It, containing 250 mg per 30-gram serving compared to 230 mg in an identical portion of Cheez-It.

Cheez-It vs Goldfish Nutrition Facts (30-Gram Serving)

Nutrient / Metric	Cheez-It Original (27 crackers / 30 g)	Goldfish Cheddar (55 pieces / 30 g)
Calories	150 kcal	140 kcal
Total Fat	8 g	5 g
Saturated Fat	1.5 g	1 g
Trans Fat	Not disclosed on listing	0 g
Cholesterol	Not disclosed on listing	5 mg
Sodium	230 mg	250 mg
Total Carbohydrate	17 g	20 g
Dietary Fiber	1 g	<1 g
Total Sugars	Not disclosed on listing	0 g
Added Sugars	0 g	0 g
Protein	3 g	3 g
Iron	Not disclosed on listing	1.3 mg
Key Preservatives	TBHQ (in vegetable oil)	None listed
Major Allergens	Wheat, Milk, Soy	Wheat, Milk

Cheez-It values come from its Open Food Facts listing. Goldfish values come from the Goldfish Cheddar product page.

Ingredients Compared: Real Cheese, Additives, and Flavorings

What are the ingredients in Goldfish vs Cheez-It? Both crackers start with enriched wheat flour and cheese, but Cheez-It includes soy lecithin, paprika extract color, and TBHQ, whereas Goldfish adds autolyzed yeast extract, onion powder, celery, and sugar at under 2%.

Cheez-It Original lists enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, folic acid), followed by vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil 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, and soy lecithin.

Goldfish Cheddar lists enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto), and vegetable oil (canola, soybean, and/or sunflower). It contains 2% or less of yeast, sugar, autolyzed yeast extract, paprika, spices, celery, onion powder, and baking soda. The Goldfish product page also says "Always Baked" and "No Artificial Colors."

Do Goldfish have artificial colors? The Goldfish product page says "No Artificial Colors," and its ingredient list includes annatto (in the cheddar) and paprika. Under FDA 21 CFR 73.30, annatto extract is a listed color additive prepared from the seed of the annatto tree (Bixa orellana L.). Both Cheez-It and Goldfish list annatto in their cheese. For oil lists across other crunchy snacks, see 5 Chips and Popcorns Scanned for Seed Oils and 5 Chips People Scan Most, and What Their Labels Say.

TBHQ in Cheez-It: What It Is, Safety, and FDA Limits

Do Cheez-Its have TBHQ? Yes, Cheez-It lists TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) as an ingredient added to its vegetable oil blend to maintain freshness.

Under FDA regulation 21 CFR 172.185, TBHQ may be used as an antioxidant alone or in combination with BHA and/or BHT, provided the total antioxidant content does not exceed 0.02 percent (200 parts per million) of the oil or fat content of the food.

The listing does not say how much TBHQ Cheez-It contains; the only number available is that 0.02 percent legal ceiling. Goldfish does not list TBHQ or synthetic antioxidants in its vegetable oil blend.

Allergens and Label Transparency: Soy, Wheat, and Milk

Cheez-It's ingredient list includes soy (soybean oil and soy lecithin) alongside wheat and milk. The Goldfish product page's "Contains" statement lists wheat and milk.

The FDA recognizes nine major food allergens, which include milk, wheat, and soybeans. Goldfish lists canola, soybean, and/or sunflower oil and does not list soy lecithin.

Both products list cheese, but neither brand discloses the precise percentage of real cheese present in the finished cracker. Furthermore, neither product discloses the exact oil variety used in any specific production batch, since both use "and/or" oil lists. The specific blend of "spices" in Goldfish is also not disclosed on the ingredient statement.

Related reading: for Goldfish against an organic cheddar cracker, see Which Has More Sodium, Goldfish or Annie's Bunnies?.