Surprisingly, it has a whopping 1,160mg of sodium, which is considered about 50% of your daily value of salt.
What flavor it has undoubtedly comes from the salt content. While it has fewer grams of protein, the flavor is a little better overall. Like the Lean Cuisine before it, the Banquet mac and cheese comes in a 10-ounce portion, and only sets you back 300 calories. We'd rather have a box of Kraft mac and cheese. If it was what was on the table, we'd eat it, but that's about as exciting as it gets. The Banquet mac and cheese lacks the creamy lushness of a more luxurious tasting mac and cheese, and the cheese flavor itself is watered down. The ingredient list includes a handful of other heavily processed ingredients that other brands don't rely on, which in the end, didn't really seem to help the cause much. This is how the most popular brands of frozen mac and cheese stacked up.Īfter looking at the ingredients list, it's no surprise as water is the first ingredient listed for the cheese sauce. We looked at nutrition information to see if you can enjoy your favorite comfort food with the least amount of guilt possible, and which dishes were made with the least amount of processed ingredients. We wanted a pasta that is perfectly cooked and felt like a good ratio in relation to the cheese sauce. Ultimately, we were looking for macaroni and cheese that has a great cheese flavor. There are even a couple of newcomers on the list that you may not already be familiar with. With subtle sweet notes that complement earthy, nutty ones, Gruyere easily adds depth of flavor to a variety of dishes. This hard cheese is prized for its complex flavor profile. Made from cow's milk, Gruyere borrows its name from a village in Switzerland. We included grocery store private label brands including Trader Joe's and the 365 organic line from Whole Foods. Gruyere cheese adds mature flair to mac and cheese. We also sampled several healthy-style brands, like Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones to see how they fare against the competition. Here, you'll find a few popular brands, including Stouffer's, Bob Evans, and Amy's that are crowd favorites. If the mac and cheese is the main event, all the better. Luckily, there are several frozen mac and cheeses on the market that aim to be as satisfying as the homemade stuff and can be ready in a matter of minutes. A bowl of the good stuff can be an instant mood elevator but after a long day, you may not have the energy to make a big batch the old-fashioned way on the stovetop. Few things are as comforting as a warm, creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese.