The creatives agree that boxed mac and cheese is a fine food product, but it’s just the start. The purists of boxed mac and cheese follow the instructions to a tee-never deviating from the exact amounts of non-dairy milk and butter and never thinking to alter something so perfect with a mix-in. There are purists, and then there are those who get creative. But plowing through a box every now and then likely won’t derail your health goals when coupled with a relatively whole foods, plant-based diet. Should vegan boxed mac and cheese become a daily habit? Probably not. Again, it depends on the brand, and some do fortify their product with calcium or happen to contain a moderate amount of fiber when using bean-based noodles, but it’s best to supplement the majority of your nutrient needs with whole, plant-based foods. In regards to micronutrients such as fiber, calcium, and iron, vegan boxed mac and cheese isn’t your best source. This all fits within the range of dairy-based mac and cheese which weighs in at 360 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 10 grams of protein per serving (plus 10 milligrams of cholesterol, which you won’t find in vegan varieties).
Traditional wheat-based noodles tend to be lower in protein-around eight to 12 grams-whereas bean or legume-based gluten-free noodles can boast up to 16 grams of protein. The protein count varies based on the noodles. Depending on how you prepare your mac and cheese, total fat can be as low as three grams or as high as 14 grams per serving. Similarly, there was a wide range of total fat and protein. The nutrition label ranges depending on the brand-we saw some calorie counts (prepared) as low as 260 calories per one-cup serving to as high as 410 calories per serving. Some brands offer gluten-free options and others make concerted efforts to only use clean and/or organic ingredients, but when it comes down to it, mac and cheese does not offer much by way of micronutrients.
WHOLE FOODS VEGAN MACARONI SALAD FREE
While true that vegan boxed mac and cheese is free of dairy and the detrimental health effects that come with it (cholesterol, trans fat, and inflammatory properties, among others), this product leans toward the vegan junk food category. Let’s not kid ourselves-there is no way one box contains two and a half servings. The only difference between the dairy-based mac and cheese of your childhood and the vegan options you’ll enjoy today is that you’ll likely eat the entire box. While the plant-based version of the blue box has yet to reach the States (it’s already a thing in Australia), there are a handful of quality vegan boxed varieties that push those same buttons of satisfaction. This nostalgia combined with a perfectly engineered food product triggers a fondness and a longing for boxed mac and cheese in vegan adults. Mac and cheese from the box was familiar, comforting, and downright delicious. For most, this pantry staple came in an iconic blue box and featured the loveable dinosaur mascot, Cheesasaurus Rex, surfing on waves of molten cheese on TV.
There are a handful of foods the vast majority of North American children grow up with and universally love.
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