Can I eat expired Wheat Thins?

Wheat Thins are another of my favorite foods from my childhood. When I was growing up, my parents rarely if ever bought potato chips and junk food, so eating Wheat Thins for a snack was a big deal.

We ate Wheat Thins crackers plain or we topped them with sliced cheese, peanut butter, chicken salad, cheeseball, and even with salsa!

Let’s find out everything we need to know about eating expired Wheat Thins and what to look out for in order to be safe!

Are Wheat Thins still good after expiration date?

As I have become an adult, I have still kept my love of Wheat Thins and buy them regularly when they are on sale. When you buy Wheat Thins at the store you will probably notice an expiration date of about 6-9 months from when you buy them.

If you do want to stock up on Wheat Thins, you will need to determine how many boxes you can reasonably eat in that timeframe. If for some reason you overbuy you may end up with an expired box of Wheat Thins on your shelf.

Wheat Thins are a whole wheat cracker that come in various flavors like original, Tomato Basil, Ranch, Hint of Salt, Multigrain, and Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil.

Since the two main ingredients in each of these flavors is whole wheat flour and canola oil, it is possible for Wheat Thins to go bad or rancid.

The main way to keep Wheat Thins tasting good after the expiration date is to make sure you are storing unopened boxes in ideal conditions.

Ideally you will store Wheat Thins in a cool dark place like a cabinet or pantry and away from moisture.

If stored correctly, unopened Wheat Thins can still be good from 6-12 months after the expiration date.

How long do opened Wheat Thins last?

Once you open a box of Wheat Thins, you really start the countdown clock on freshness. This is because most people open the inside plastic bag, get some crackers out, and then close up the cardboard lid.

This is not helping your crackers at all! When you leave the inside plastic liner open, your crackers are now exposed to air and moisture.

If you leave this inner plastic lining open, then your box of Wheat Thins will only last 1-2 weeks before it starts to taste stale or bad.

The best thing to do is keep the bag closed with a chip clip or place the all the crackers inside a Ziploc style bag. This will keep the air and moisture away from your crackers!

When air and moisture get into your crackers, you end up with crackers that taste stale quicker, start to lose their crunch, and can even absorb funky flavors like cooked fish if you recently fried fish in your kitchen.

When you close the inner plastic bag to air and moisture, your opened box of Wheat Thins can still be fresh tasting for 1-2 months!

What can I do with stale wheat Thins?

If you open your box of Wheat Thins suddenly taste stale don’t toss them out yet! First let’s clarify what stale taste really means.

If your crackers are still crunchy and holding their shape but have a less strong taste then normal, then your crackers are stale.

If your crackers are moist, squishy, smell funky, and taste off, then your crackers are bad and need to be tossed.

Stale crackers are perfectly fine to still eat but the flavor will not be as strong as fresh. Before you throw them out, consider using them while you are cooking!

Make Breadcrumbs! Throw those stale Wheat Thins in a food processor or even a Ziploc back and grind or smash them into small bits. You can then use these Wheat Thins crumbs to coat meat like chicken or porkchops, top a casserole, or use them in your meatloaf or meatballs.

Stale Wheat Thins can still be useful and add some flavor to other dishes. Plus, you can save money by not throwing them away and also by not having to buy breadcrumbs!

What happens if you eat expired Wheat Thins?

Let’s say your grab a box of Wheat Thins and start eating them and notice a funky flavor or a soft moist texture. The good news is that you are not likely to keep eating them.

Most people will immediately stop eating crackers that have gone bad just simply because the taste is awful.

Since you won’t be eating a huge quantity, the likelihood of getting sick or food poisoning is very unlikely.

If you were to store a handful of Wheat Thins in the same bag as an apple or any other fruit or vegetable, then it is possible for Wheat Thins to grow mold.

Wheat Thins by themselves have a very low natural moisture content and a pretty high salt content, so it is highly unlikely for them to grow mold by themselves. They need some other organic matter to get the mold started or an introduction to a liquid.

As long as the outer cardboard box and the inner plastic lining are intact with no signs of moisture or puncture marks in the bag, then your Wheat Thins should be totally fine.

Overtime they will lose their flavor and taste stale, but this can take upwards of a year. Wheat Flour and Canola Oil can go rancid over time, but the odds of getting sick from eating a rancid Wheat Thin is quite low.

This is because if your Wheat Thins did go rancid, the smell and taste would keep you from eating more of them.

For more information about expired foods, check out “Can I eat expired Frosted Mini Wheats?” and “Can you drink expired Diet Coke?“