From last-minute dinners to midnight snacks, boxed macaroni and cheese is a lifelong comfort
food — even if you know it's not good for you. But some choices are unhealthier than others
These are 11 of the worst offenders. Considering the fact that each serving of Quaker macaroni with creamy white cheddar flavor
requires four tablespoons of butter and a quarter cup of 2% milk, you can probably guess
that saturated fat is the biggest issue. Once prepared, a single serving of this macaroni and cheese
contains an eye-popping 12 grams of saturated fat, about 60% of the amount you're supposed to eat in an entire day
And that's if you just stick to one serving. But realistically, how often do you actually stretch one box into two and a half servings
Oh, macaroni and cheese. We gotta make this. Fat aside, you'll also find 420 calories, 50 grams of carbohydrates
and 690 milligrams of sodium. In comparison, it also contains just 2 grams of fiber
which means you're unlikely to feel satisfied for long after you eat. More fiber would help to slow down the rate at which your body digests the 50 grams of carbs in each serving
in turn stabilizing your blood sugar and preventing that familiar post-carb crash
Let's start with the silver lining here. Velveeta shells and cheese somehow manages to be both creamy and cheesy
without requiring any actual butter or milk. Instead, it just calls for water to boil the shells
with the iconic Velveeta cheese sauce then applied directly to the pasta after draining
No extra dairy additions means the amount of saturated fat in each serving
3.5 grams, is actually relatively low compared to other entries on this list
That's it for the silver lining though, because we're not quite as keen on the rest of Velveeta shells and cheese's nutritional profile
A single serving of this macaroni and cheese contains a whopping 880 milligrams of sodium
That's 37% of your daily recommended intake gone in just one third of a box
There's two grams of fiber, if that counts for anything, so you run the risk of feeling hungry again not long after you consumed a third of your sodium allowance
I'm still hungry. If you want to hack this macaroni and cheese into something a little more nutritionally impressive
try pairing it with a side of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or another veggie rich in fiber
which will help you feel full for longer. You don't have to love Kraft mac and cheese
but you can't deny its icon status. Back in 1937, this was the OG boxed macaroni and cheese
picking up steam among American consumers thanks to its low cost, 19 cents to be precise, and maximum efficiency
According to the Smithsonian, a single box promised to make a meal for four in nine minutes
It costs a little bit more than 19 cents over eight decades later
but it's still a pretty affordable and convenient meal option. Back in 2015, Kraft quietly gave its macaroni and cheese range an overhaul
which rid it of all artificial flavors preservatives and dyes That means the usual offenders yellow five and yellow six no longer appear in any of its blue boxed pasta Objection Unhealthy She right The Kraft 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese
lands a spot on our list of the unhealthiest macaroni and cheese out there
Once prepared with the suggested amount of butter and milk, each serving contains 750 milligrams of sodium
a third of your daily recommended intake, and well over the maximum of 600 milligrams recommended per meal
to limit its impact on your blood pressure. Then there's the 4 grams of saturated fat
The fiber count is also disappointingly low at just 1 gram. In 2023, Cabot combined two classic flavors to create something that's equal parts monster and masterpiece
depending who you ask. Guinness Cracked Black Pepper Macaroni and Cheese. While it doesn't contain any actual alcohol
this macaroni and cheese has a malty taste just like the popular stout that compliments Cabot's famously sharp cheddar
Here's your Guinness. Guinness? That's my favorite. Love it or hate it, this unique macaroni and cheese is definitely best enjoyed as an occasional indulgence
Each serving contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 1,200 milligrams of sodium
52% of your daily recommended intake. That's a truly mind-blowing amount of sodium
For context, although the FDA suggests that we should consume a maximum of 2,300 milligrams per day
the American Heart Association wants us to move towards a cap of 1,500 milligrams
to tackle high blood pressure and heart health. Needless to say, the Guinness Cracked Black Pepper Macaroni and Cheese
is best avoided for those who already fall into the danger zone for either of these conditions
And probably even those who don't. As far as value goes, this macaroni and cheese truly is great
What isn't quite as great is its nutritional profile, which leaves a lot to be desired
Once prepared with the recommended 4 tablespoons of butter and half cup of 2% milk
a single serving contains 410 calories and 4 grams of saturated fat
Oh man, they do have a lot of saturated fat. Again, the most concerning thing here is the sheer amount of salt you're consuming
every time you eat Great Value Thick and Creamy Macaroni and Cheese. At 690 milligrams, you'll be eating up 30% of your sodium allowance in a matter of minutes
While sugar content typically isn't your biggest concern when you're eating macaroni and cheese
it's worth noting that each serving also contains 10 grams of the sweet stuff too
To give it some credit, there are no artificial flavors, synthetic colors, or preservatives at play here
but that's pretty tough to appreciate given the circumstances. First things first, no, this has absolutely zero connection to the food served in Cracker Barrel
restaurants. The cheese brand known as Cracker Barrel was founded by Kraft in 1954
15 years before anyone set foot in the restaurant of the same name
One thing the pair do have in common is their proclivity for fat and salt
with the Cracker Barrel Sharp White Cheddar Mac and Cheese coming up high in both departments
No thank you Too much salt It the sodium that stands out most with an astonishing 820 milligrams in each serving Marginally better and we mean very very marginally is the regular sharp cheddar variety which contains 780 milligrams
However, the downside is the increase in saturated fat. The regular sharp cheddar option contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat
which is one gram more than the white cheddar. Whatever variety you go for, you can rest easy, or uneasy
knowing that they're both equally disappointing on the fiber front, with just one gram to help your body process all those carbs
Cheeseburgers tend to be unhealthy, and so does macaroni and cheese. So is it any surprise that their love child is also unhealthy
Unlike most macaroni and cheese, which usually requires just water, or at the most, milk and butter to complete the recipe
Hamburger Helper Pasta Cheeseburger Macaroni asks for you to mix in an entire pound of lean ground beef
during the preparation process. He's a waking hamburger helper! The finished result is a glorious mix of cheese and beef
that, sadly, your body probably won't enjoy as much as your taste buds
One serving contains 40% of your daily recommended amount of sodium, plus 23% of your daily cholesterol values
The fiber situation is particularly dire, with less than one gram per serving
What's more, the ingredients list also raises a few alarm bells, thanks to the inclusion of four different artificial colors
This lineup includes the infamous yellow 5, aka tartrazine, and yellow 6
Studies suggest that both are damaging to our cells and potentially contaminated with carcinogenic substances
Tartrazine, in particular, has also been linked to hyperactivity and behavioral changes in children
All in all, it's definitely not an ingredient that would appear on any nutritionist's wish list
Don't make the mistake of reading broccoli and defining this as a health food
While Velveeta broccoli shells and cheese does indeed contain dried broccoli, it barely amounts to more than a sprinkle of seasoning
In fact, it places second to last on the ingredients list, which tells you everything you need to know about the ratio of green stuff to cheese
The rest of the box is bulked out with ingredients such as milk, cheese culture, oil, and salt
A lot of salt. One serving of this macaroni and cheese contains more sodium
than any meal needs at a mind-blowing 1130 milligrams. In other words, half of your daily recommended intake
or roughly the same amount nutritionists recommend you consume in two entire meals
This comes with 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 18% of the suggested total, and 49 grams of carbohydrates
What was that? Broccoli? On the plus side, there is slightly more fiber here
than your average boxed macaroni and cheese, 4 grams per box. Considering all the other nutritional pitfalls, though
we'd personally recommend getting that fiber fix elsewhere. While your 10-year-old inner self would like to think otherwise
this is definitely not what your parents had in mind when they told you you need to eat more veggies The Guinness Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese combines the same sharp Cabot cheddar cheese malty stout and radiatory pasta as the black
pepper variety. This time around, however, it throws earthy truffle into the mix to tickle your
taste buds while giving your blood pressure a fright. Those numbers don't lie. A single serving
of the truffle edition of Guinness Macaroni and Cheese contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 980
milligrams of sodium. As per the American Heart Association, we only actually need 500 milligrams
of sodium per day to function properly, putting this at double the amount your body requires
Any single food item containing over 400 milligrams is defined as high in sodium
and should those same items become the norm in your diet, all that extra unnecessary salt can
take a toll on your heart health as well as lead to unexpected issues such as fluid retention
We're sad to report that Great Value doesn't boost its nutritional greatness when it switches pasta shapes
While the Great Value Premium Original Shells and Cheese may be made with real cheddar cheese
something it proudly promotes on the box, each serving is riddled with high amounts of sodium, 900 milligrams, and saturated fat, 3 grams
that warranted a spot on the unhealthy boxed macaroni and cheese wall of fame
It's the Hall of Fame! A closer look at the ingredients list brings more cause for concern
Like most highly processed foods, the list is lengthy and contains its fair share of additives
The one that sticks out like a sore thumb is sodium phosphate. Despite being considered safe by the FDA and used as an emulsifier
or to balance the pH levels in your food, studies have shown that it can have a damaging impact on those with kidney or cardiovascular diseases
That doesn't make it unsafe for everyone, but it's always best to just be aware of what you're eating
Realistically, there's no world where Cheetos and macaroni and cheese would ever be a healthy combo, but we can dream
The reality is that this macaroni and cheese is one of the worst of the bunch
nutritionally speaking. Each violently orange box of Cheetos mac and cheese bold and cheesy
contains pasta and powdered cheese flavor, just like the iconic corn puffs
powdered by a questionable array of ingredients, such as the artificial color yellow 6
Die, die, die! What has us even more concerned is the fact that this macaroni and cheese contains trans fats
Once prepared, you'll find 1.5 grams of the stuff in every serving
The daily recommended amount of trans fat is none at all, considering its notorious link to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes
Worse still is the 4-Cheesy variety, where the trans fat content soars to 2 grams per serving
Combine those trans fats with 740 milligrams of sodium, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 6 grams
of sugar, and you've got a boxed macaroni and cheese that we'd recommend not just eating in
moderation, but skipping over in the grocery store completely