I think there is nothing more evil than a box of macaroni and cheese.
That’s right. I said it. Pure evil.
Macaroni and cheese gets a bad rap for being an unhealthy indulgence — especially when referring to the canned or boxed variety. On the outside, macaroni and cheese is just cheese and carbs, but.
I think that every time you open your kitchen cupboard, the box of mac and cheese is laughing maniacally and mocking you. Wha ha ha ha. That’s what it says. Wha ha ha ha. Just like that.
- There are a million reasons why it’s safe to assume that Kraft Mac and Cheese is awful for you. For one, the powder. Usually, if something starts out in powder form, it’s a red flag that it’s not a very good dietary choice. Also, like all versions of mac and cheese, there’s not much to it.
- Yup, the ultimate comfort is pretty dangerous for your health. A recent report shows that certain boxed mac and cheese products, as well as certain processed cheeses, are riddled with chemicals.
- Phthalates are found in mac and cheese, shampoo, and other products you use daily. Here's what they are and how they could have dangerous health effects, especially in pregnancy.
And I’m not just referring to the nuclear-orange colored Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner that we grew up with. Oh no, I’m talking Annie’s Homegrown, too. They are both serpents in beautifully designed packaging. If the boxes had heads, they would spin around and around, as if possessed by a wicked, pus-spitting, three-headed, gibberish-speaking demon.
Not that I’m exaggerating or anything.
I say this because if you have a box of the mac and cheese sitting in your cabinet and your kid knows it’s there, you could feed them pizza topped with M&M’s and jelly beans every night of the week and they would still turn up their nose and ask for the box. If they know it’s there, a possibility that they might be able to have a potential substitute for whatever you have on the plate, they’ll opt for the box stuff. And unless you are strong – imbued with demon fighting super-powers – you’ll probably cave.
The box messes with your mind. Wha ha ha…
You think, “Okay, so Freddy didn’t eat his broccoli and fish. This sucks. My child might be malnourished. I see him losing weight and brain cells as we speak. Is that a rib sticking out? No, just his finger. Whew. He needs to eat something. I must get food into him. I know… Freddy doesn’t have to eat the fish and broccoli. I’ll whip up some Annie’s organic instead. I mean, how bad can it be? It’s organic. It’s quick. Oh thank the Lord, he’s eating. God, he’s licking the bowl. Vitamins, minerals. I think his brain cells are rejuvenating. This mac and cheese thing rocks. God, I’m a problem solver. Someone give me a medal. Now, where’s my beer?”
Meanwhile, Freddy is thinking he dodged a bullet because he didn’t have to eat the broccoli. He makes a note to himself to feign hunger pains, or maybe cholera, the next time you make a dinner he doesn’t love. Freddy knows the box is always there waiting for him. And more importantly, he knows you’re weak.
Wha ha ha…
Okay, I’ll stop doing that now.
So, for these reasons, I refuse to have the box mac and cheese in my house. I’m cool if the kids eat it at a friend’s house, but if you bring it over my doorstep, like, because your kid might not eat whatever I’m cooking and you want to make sure they don’t keel over from malnourishment, I’ll make you leave it in the hall closet. Your kid could get the cholera at my house. And don’t’ get me wrong, I’m not one of those Moms who have kids who have never seen the inside of a McDonald’s. Believe me, my scruples are few. I’ll let my kids sit in front of Princess movies until their occipital lobe starts to fall off the back of their heads, but I draw the line at box mac and cheese. Even a floozy has to have a few standards.
And I’d like to bring you into the light, so stay with me as I regale you with facts about the box:
- Both Kraft and Annie’s have basically the same ingredients: pasta, cheese, milk and salt. Annie’s has 9 ingredients, Kraft has 20 and most of those are replacing additives lost in processing. The real difference is that Annie’s doesn’t have yellow dyes number 5 and number 6. Annie’s doesn’t have that same bright, attractive, neon cheese color either. So there you go.
- In terms of nutrition, they are, surprisingly, equals. They have nearly equal numbers of calories, sodium, protein, fiber but Annie’s has more than double the saturated fat. And yes, Annie’s is organic and this counts for something, but the “natural” line is not organic, just, um, “natural”, whatever that freakin’ means. You must come to grips with the reality, people – Annie’s is barely more nutritious than it’s day-glo counterpart.
- I know I know, You’re reading this and thinking, “Hey Kim, it’s not cassoulet with duck confit or anything but come on, I’m busy and little Freddy needs to eat. The box is quick and easy!” To this I say, “Cooking a cheesy pasta dish from scratch is exactly the same process as using the box.” Really. The same. Here goes: (1) Boil water, (2) put pasta into water, (3) cook pasta, (4) drain pasta, (5) add milk, butter and cheese (6) serve to Freddy. See? The same.
And to prove it, I am including a simple pasta dish here that you can make in lieu of the box. And once you get the hang of it, you can add other ingredients and play with the concept a bit. Just know, that by never introducing the demon box, you are doing yourself a big favor – you are helping your kid be adventurous by eating without a net.
xxoo YM
Cheesy Pasta with Warm Tomatoes and Basil
Makes 2 to 4 servings
1 1-pound box pasta* (Change it up. Use whatever pasta your family loves)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
A half stick of butter
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (Use the chopped stuff to keep your time down)
2 handfuls of torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Use the shredded stuff to save even more time)
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook until they burst and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done. Drain pasta, but save a cup or so of pasta water and set aside. Put desired amount of pasta in pan with the tomatoes and stir all the goodness together. Add another lump of butter, the basil and add a bit of the reserved pasta water if you need more liquid to coat the pasta. Turn off heat. Add a handful or two of Parmesan. Sprinkle with a bit more basil. Serve to Freddy.
*I cook the whole box of pasta even if I know I won’t use it. I save the leftover cooked pasta in the fridge in a covered bowl or zip lock bag and use it the next day for lunch. Since the pasta is already cooked, all I need to do is throw it in a sauté pan with my ingredients and I have another fresh pasta dish in minutes.
Most of us can look back on our childhoods and recall eating bowls full of the iconic blue box mac and cheese, probably off of a metal TV tray depicting your favorite cartoon characters. Depending on who you ask, it's still the epitome of comfort food in adulthood, and maybe we still eat it off a metal TV tray (don't judge). There's just something about that bright yellow cheese sauce that soothes the soul — though it is less bright these days, thanks to a recipe reformulation.
But as much as we loved — and still love — Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, there are probably a few things left to learn about it. Do you know how it was invented? Or how what country gobbles down the most of it per week? And most importantly, did you know that you may have been making it wrong all these years? Don't worry — we'll tell you how to do it right.
Read on to find out all the little known factoids about your favorite cheesy pasta.
It's always been super cheap
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has been around since 1937, but the company didn't invent the dish — Smithsonian.com reports that the earliest known recipe dates back to 1769 — but Kraft did patent the processed cheese that would ultimately change the game for the company during the Great Depression.
The idea to box the pasta with the processed cheese as an easy dinner (with an incredibly long shelf life and no refrigeration required) came about when Kraft learned of a salesman selling pasta with a packet of Kraft cheese attached with a rubber band. According to The Walrus, Kraft began marketing the product as Kraft Dinner, with the box promising to feed a family of four for the low price of only 19 cents. Because of its affordability, combined with its ability to feed a family, the product flew off shelves and sold 8 million boxes in the first year. World War II kept the popularity of the product going, due to the food rationing that was in effect. Two boxes of Kraft Dinner could be purchased for one rationing coupon, and scratched an itch as a substitute for unobtainable meat and dairy. Because of this, 80 million boxes were sold in 1943.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese continues to be a super affordable option for a quick dinner in 2018, which at about $1 is a steal considering regular inflation rates should have it over $3 today.
You're probably making it wrong
How many times have you stirred up your pot of mac and cheese only to be left with a clumpy mess? That classic Kraft cheese powder, tasty as it is, just doesn't always play nice with the butter and the milk. But there's a way to make sure it does, and you'll never bite into a powdery lump again.
The key to creamy, dreamy mac and cheese is simply adding the ingredients in the correct order. Resist the temptation to throw everything into the pot at once — a little patience will pay off. Here's how to do it the right way:
- Once the noodles are cooked and drained, add them back to the pot.
- Add the butter, and stir until completely melted. (This is important.)
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the buttered noodles, then pour in the milk.
- Stir the noodles using a folding motion, from the edge of the pot inwards.
Voilà! No lumps, no bumps. Just deliciously creamy mac and cheese.
Is it really toxic?
A 2017 study of boxed mac and cheese had people swearing off one of their favorite comfort foods due to the presence of phthalates. But what the heck is a phthalate, and should we really be worried?
Phthalates are a group of chemicals commonly found in things like rubber, fragrance, soap, plastic, and more. These chemicals get into foods during the manufacturing process, and a small study found that 29 of 30 cheese products tested contained phthalates, with the powdered cheeses containing the highest amounts — four times more than natural cheese. CNN reports that these chemicals are endocrine disruptors, and according to the National Institutes of Health, 'may interfere with the production or activity of human hormones.' They may cause reduced fertility and an increase in some diseases, including endometriosis and some cancers.'
Because of a lack of scientific data, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 'the impact of low level exposure on humans is unknown,' but certain phthalates have been banned in children's products since 2008.
So where does that leave us with our beloved mac and cheese?
You can probably still eat it
After the initial panic that the phthalate study caused, prompting scary headlines urging us to ditch our mac and cheese, it was revealed that it's probably not as bad as it initially seemed. Although it sounds scary, the study shows a higher concentration of phthalates in powdered cheese compared to natural cheese, but not in comparison to... anything else. So we don't really know how much is too much.
In response to the study, Kraft said, in part, 'We want you to know that we do not add phthalates to Kraft Mac & Cheese... The safety of phthalates has been assessed by the US Food and Drug Administration and other authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control. The trace levels found in the one limited test of mac and cheese are well below any level of concern. Hundreds of servings of mac and cheese would need to be consumed daily over an entire lifetime in order to exceed levels determined as safe.'
Slate reports that Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana echoed Kraft's statement, saying it would take a lot of mac and cheese to see negative impacts. 'There's really no dose that we know that will lead to significant health effects,' she said.
The study itself even concludes that 'further research is needed on the phthalate levels in food,' so we'll take our chances until then.
What's the white powder in Easy Mac?
If you've ever made Easy Mac — Kraft's microwavable alternative to stovetop mac and cheese — you might have pulled back the lid and noticed a white powder inside. No, it's not the cheese powder — that's contained in its own packet. So what is it?
If you checked the cooking directions, you would see that the package reads 'Note: You will see loose white powder in pasta. This is necessary for proper cooking.' The Huffington Post reached out to Kraft to find out just what that loose white powder might be, and were told that it is actually modified food starch. The representative explained that the starch is there to prevent the Easy Mac from boiling over in the microwave and acts as a thickening agent.
According to Bob's Red Mill, modified food starch is in just about all instant and processed foods these days, and it's commonly made from corn, wheat, potato, and tapioca — something to keep in mind if you have allergies.
The recipe change nobody noticed
So you think you know your Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, do you? Did you notice when they changed the recipe without telling anyone?
In what Kraft called 'the world's largest blind taste test,' it was revealed in March 2016 that the company had overhauled their original mac and cheese recipe to remove artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes. But the change actually took place in December 2015, and by the time they let us all in our their secret, they'd sold more than 50 million boxes without anyone noticing.
Kraft Heinz's Greg Guidotti said in a statement, 'As we considered changing the ingredients of our classic Blue Box, we did so knowing we had to maintain our iconic look, taste and texture. We'd invite Americans to try our new recipe, but they most likely already have.' Well played, Kraft, well played.
The recipe reformulation came in response to a petition started by the infamous Food Babe (which garnered more than 350,000 signatures), and an increase in consumers' desire for simpler ingredients. That classic yellow color is no longer achieved with yellow 5 and yellow 6, but paprika, annatto, and turmeric.
Canadians REALLY love it
You might think Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is popular in the U.S., but Canadians are way more serious about their boxed cheesy pasta than Americans. They eat so much of it that they've made Kraft Dinner, or KD as it's now officially called, the top selling grocery item in their country, with each person eating an average of 3.2 boxes each per year, which is an astounding 55 percent more than Americans eat. Canadians are also responsible for a good chunk of the worldwide mac and cheese consumption, eating 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold each week.
Is Mac And Cheese Bad For Your Stomach
It's not just pride for their own country's product, either. In BuzzFeed's blind taste test, Canadians picked KD over Kraft Macaroni & Cheese as the winner four out of four times. Sounds like they all agree with the Barenaked Ladies who famously sang,'If I had a million dollars / We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner / But we would eat Kraft Dinner / Of course we would, we'd just eat more.'
Why Is Mac And Cheese Bad For You
The cheese powder isn't just for macaroni
If you love the unmistakable flavor of Kraft's patented cheese powder, why aren't you using it in other dishes? It's not just for your mac and cheese anymore. Thanks to the geniuses at the Chicago Tribune, we now have several more ways to get more cheese powder in our lives:
- Instead of rimming your Bloody Mary glasses with salt or other seasonings, go for cheese powder. It still gives you a salty kick, and pairs well with tomato and Worcestershire sauce. Just dip the rim in a little lemon juice first to get the powder to stick.
- Make easy cheesy popcorn by sprinkling the powder onto popped buttered kernels and tossing well.
- Whisk some cheese powder into your eggs before scrambling to add a bit of creamy umami to your breakfast plate.
- Homemade Doritos anyone? Yes, it's possible. Just spray tortilla chips with cooking spray and toss with a mixture of cheese powder, paprika, and cayenne before baking at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.
Why stop there? Mix it into butter, toss it with fries, sprinkle it on top of baked potatoes or veggies... the world is your cheesy oyster.
Easy Mac might not be so easy after all
Kraft Mac And Cheese Bad For You
The appeal of Easy Mac is that it's — you guessed it— easy. Ridiculously so. You add water, you microwave it for 3-1/2 minutes, you stir in the cheese, and, in a perfect world, you're eating lunch less than 4 minutes later. In a less than perfect world, you burn your Easy Mac to an unrecognizable pile of charcoal, cause an evacuation of your office building, and (presumably) hide in the bathroom the rest of the day.
That's exactly what happened to one unfortunate employee at the Iowa State Capitol anyway, who just wanted to satisfy their lunchtime mac and cheese craving. The scorched Easy Mac set off emergency smoke alarms near the Senate Chamber and forced an evacuation of the building.
Kraft Mac And Cheese Bad For You
Moral of the story? Don't walk away from your microwavable mac and cheese. It turns out it might not be so easy after all.