The Crackers and Water Diet: What You Need to Know

This eating plan is considered a fad diet. Fad diets often promote quick weight loss that is unsustainable and may severely restrict what you eat. They may be harmful and generally do not have long-lasting health benefits. Talk to your healthcare provider before making any major changes to how you eat.

As its name implies, the crackers and water diet involves only eating crackers and drinking water. Some versions of it also let you have limited amounts of foods like soup or broth. This extremely low-calorie diet promises rapid weight loss, though the method isn’t safe or sustainable.

How Does the Crackers and Water Diet Claim to Work?

The crackers and water diet claims to work by limiting the calories you take in. There’s no standard rule for how many crackers you can eat. But crackers, like saltines, are your main source of food.

Generally, crackers are low in calories and offer limited nutrition. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), if you eat six saltine crackers, you consume about 118 calories. Eating only crackers and water deprives your body of important vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

A diet like this will make you lose weight due to its extremely restricted calorie count. But that’s actually a problem, because eating only crackers and drinking water can put you well below the minimum calorie intake you need, unless you’re under a doctor’s close supervision.

Most women can lose weight safely on a diet of 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Most men, and women who exercise regularly or are overweight, can safely lose weight with a diet of 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day. The NHLBI also warns that very low–calorie diets consisting of fewer than 800 calories a day should only be attempted under supervision.

It’s best to work with a registered dietitian to figure out how many daily calories you need.

What Can You Eat on the Crackers and Water Diet?

The crackers and water diet is an example of a monotrophic, or “mono” diet. This means you eat one food, or one very limited type of food, for a set period of time.

Foods to Include

Generally, you can only drink water and eat crackers (like saltines, rice crackers, or similar kinds). But some versions of the plan allow for adding limited foods, like broth or soup.

Foods to Avoid

If you follow this diet, you’ll have to avoid all foods except crackers, broth, and soup.

Potential Benefits of the Crackers and Water Diet (and Why They May Not Last)

The crackers and water diet is known for its simplicity. Crackers are an easy food to keep on hand. You don’t have to prepare meals or purchase a lot of groceries to follow this diet.

Some people claim that eating plans like the crackers and water diet can cleanse or detox your system by flushing out toxins. But there’s no scientific basis for this, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

One positive aspect of the diet is that it encourages you to drink a lot of water. Staying hydrated can support your overall health, help digestion, boost your brain function, and protect your organs and tissues. Drinking water also helps you feel fuller, which may lessen your urge to overeat.

The crackers and water diet claims to promote quick weight loss. But much of the weight you lose will be water weight. As with most fad diets, you’ll likely regain the weight once you start eating normally again. According to the American Heart Association, there’s no research to show that these “quick fix” diets can offer long-term success.

Potential Risks of the Crackers and Water Diet

Some possible risks tied to the crackers and water diet include:

• Nutritional Deficiencies Crackers don’t have the nutrients to support your health. You’ll miss out on protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Unsustainable Weight Loss You’ll likely regain the weight once you go back to your normal eating pattern.
• Negative Impact on Metabolism Extremely low–calorie diets can slow your metabolism and make future weight loss harder, according to the Obesity Action Coalition.
• Potential for Disordered Eating Depriving yourself of certain foods for a long time can promote binge eating, according to the Pennsylvania State University.
• Lack of Scientific Evidence The claims that are made about the crackers and water diet are not supported by research. Studies on extreme calorie-restrictive diets show negative results in the long term, according to research.
• Interactions Fad diets may not be safe for people with medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease. Also, some medicines require food for absorption, so a severe calorie restriction can affect how they work, according to a study.
• Loss of Muscle Mass This sort of crash diet can also reduce your muscle mass, according to Pennsylvania State University.
• Gallstones “Crash diets” can prompt the development of painful gallstones, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
• Other Side Effects Very low–calorie diets can cause symptoms like headaches, nausea, irritability, and fatigue, according to Cleveland Clinic.
• Social Isolation Eating only crackers and water can be hard to do in a social setting. Such a strict diet can isolate you from others.

Is the Crackers and Water Diet Right for You?

This eating plan is an example of a fad diet. It severely restricts what you can eat, may be harmful, and offers unsustainable weight loss. You should always talk with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, especially one that is very restrictive.

You shouldn’t try a fad diet like the crackers and water diet if you:

• Are an older adult, a child, or a teenager
• Have a chronic medical condition
• Take prescription medications
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have an eating disorder

The safest, most effective way to lose weight is to follow a well-balanced diet. This includes lots of nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.