It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of graham crackers for pre-run fuel. Some have dubbed me as the Graham Queen, and I will happily take that title. Day in & day out, that’s my choice. I wake up most days at 4am, drink my coffee & eat my grahams, then I’m out the door for an early morning run. I have always preferred Honey Maid grahams, but you all were wondering what the best graham out there was. So, I set out on a quest to find the BEST grahams. What could be a better way to do that than to have a blind taste test with grahams aka The Graham Slam!
I ordered 10 different types of grahams, some I had tried, and some that I had not. I ordered several blindfolds from Amazon <ok, maybe far too many, but they were hilarious!> I was shooed off to another room, while my trusty sidekick numbered the bottom of each box & got the the grahams all ready.
One by one, I tasted the grahams. There were several that I enjoyed and would gladly eat again. Some were so-so and lacked flavor. Lastly, there were a couple that I would not choose to ever taste again. Watch this Reel below to see the Graham Slam in action.
I excluded Pamela’s & Trader Joe’s from my list because those aren’t “true” grahams to me. The texture of Pamela’s wasn’t very graham-like, and Trader Joe’s was more like a cookie <although, pretty tasty>. Here’s my list in order of preference from the blind taste test, starting with my least favorite:
8. Kellogg’s – didn’t taste like anything
7. Benton’s (Aldi) – love Aldi, don’t love their grahams
6. Annie’s – didn’t care for the flavor
5. Happy Belly (Amazon) – ok but bland
4. Market District (Target) – pretty good, would buy these again
3. Nabisco – tasty! I would eat these as a backup.
2. Honey Maid Fresh Stacks – a little different than the regular kind but very good
1. Honey Maid – my favorite is indeed my favorite, even while blindfolded!
Next, we wanted to see if I REALLY knew my favorite grahams from the competitors. We did a few side-by-side, blindfolded taste tests. <See the video below> I was a little thrown by the last one <wait for it>, but at the end of the day, I know my Honey Maids!
Most grahams out there, including the grahams I tested, have a very similar macronutrient composition. However, it’s important to note that two of these grahams stood out. The first being Trader Joe’s – they were more like a cookie, and I am not surprised to see some added fat in there. Second, the gluten-free Pamela’s. One-serving of these may sit just fine, but if you double them up as pre-run fuel for a long run, that fat content might cause some GI distress. Definitely something to consider!
Winner, Winner!
Honey Maid Grahams
That was delightful. I am really impressed by your graham knowledge and undying appreciation.
How many graham crackers do you eat before a run?
It depends on how long the run is but usually 2-6 whole sheets!
We don’t have Graham crackers in the U.K. any similar alternatives ?
Unfortunately, nothing close. The most similar I’ve heard of would be digestive biscuits.