I am going to be running a series of "If you Must" tips and tricks. I would love to say I would never stoop to the likes of Campbells Soup or Kraft Dinner, etc but practicality and demand over cost occasionally just requires. As I have mentioned before, I also have a very picky (aren't they all?) 3 year old who would really prefer to eat nothing but mac 'n cheese and fish sticks for the rest of her life. The result? I have figured out some handy ways to sneak nutrition and cut the "bad stuff" out of even the most pre-packaged, processed foods. One big secret? Don't always believe the package, read the nutritional facts, and bring a calculator to find some surprises.
So, tip #1:
I used to go to great lengths to attempt to buy "healthier" mac 'n cheese options for those occasional quick lunches on days you just aren't into or are unable to compose lunch and would really rather just put some mac in a pot and forget about it. (C'mon, we all have a day on the weekend when you just want to relax, yes?)
Well, suprisingly, here is the comparison between Kraft's new Kraft Dinner Smart, regular Kraft Dinner, Annie's Homegrown Classic Mac & Cheese, and Annie's Organic Classic Macaroni & Cheese (all based on 1 cup of mac 'n cheese and the percentages are daily recommended amounts based on a 2000 calorie diet):
Annie's Classic: 280 Calories, fat 4g, saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 530mg, Carbs 47g, fiber 2g, sugar 5g, protein 10g
Annie's Organic: 280 Calories, fat 4.5g, saturated fat 2.5g, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 520mg, carbs 46g, fiber 2g, sugars 5g, protein 10g
KD Original: 280 Calories, fat 2.7g, saturated fat 1.3g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 547mg, Carbs 53g, fiber 1g, sugars 9g, protein 9g
KD Smart: 280 Calories, fat 2.7g, saturated fat 1.3g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 398mg, Carbs 26g, fiber 2g, sugars 9g, protein 8g
So you can see the quandry developing with no clear winners. All have the same calories, Kraft brands are certainly lower fat and cholesterol, the sodium is high accross the board with Kraft Dinner Smart being the clear winner in that catagory. Kraft Dinner Smart also has the fewest carbs but this is where we need to start being careful, adults watching waistlines may not want carbs, but children (and the ones most likely to be eating packaged mac 'n cheese) certainly require carbs for energy! So, in the category I make Smart the winner for grown-ups and KD Original the winner for tots.....until we look at what those carbs are made of. Well now it would seem that Classic KD is mostly sugar, as is KD Smart, so in this case we go for the lower sugar, median fiber and chose either of the Annies products. Annies are also the clear winner in the protein category. But really, what I am attempting to show you is this:
There is no such thing as healthy boxed mac 'n cheese so "If you MUST" just buy the one you like and will put less of a dent in the wallet, buy the one on special, we could go back and forth for days trying to decide which is better and go cross-eyed from all the math doing it because they all list different serving sizes and weights as guidlines.
Here is the real tip:
When preparing boxed mac 'n cheese, skip the part in the directions where it says add "this much butter" and "such and such milk". Buy some plain unsweetened yogurt and keep it in the fridge. Use about 2 tablespoons of yogurt to mix up your mac adding a little more nutrition, a lot less fat and some vitamins to boot. Plus, the flavour is tangier and more filling.
Enjoy!
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