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Mac and cheeseis a pantry staple in many households and is a go-to for a quick and easy dish.
FW Studio:Pexels/Walmart/Kraft Heinz
But that doesn’t mean it’s super healthy.
Some are much worse healthwise than others.
Saturated fat:Saturated fat is something you’ll often find in boxed food.
Stouffer’s
Too much can lead to serious health issues like high cholesterol and heart disease.
Sodium:Many boxed and frozen meals load up on the salt for flavor.
While it might be tasty, you’re risking your heart.
Sam’s Club
TheAmerican Heart Associationsays too many Americans consume more salt than recommended.
The organization suggests having no more than 2,300 milligrams a day, but many people have 3,500mg daily.
But that doesn’t make it a healthy option.
Cracker Barrel
“It’s important to be mindful of the impact it may have on health.
Choosing products with more whole grains and fewer preservatives can help improve overall nutrition.”
“I urge you to avoid using any mac & cheese as a main meal,” she says.
Courtesy of Cheetos
The American Heart Association recommends an ideal sodium limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for mostadultsandchildren.
However, according to Morris, this should not be ordered.
Additionally, the cheese sauce alone contains 18 ingredients, including preservatives and additives.
Walmart
This has less than 2g of fiber per serving.
Instead, this product has 16g of fat of which is 20% of saturated fat.
Another issue Rauch sees with the mac and cheese is the amount of carbs and lack of fiber.
Target
“Wheat flour is listed as part of the enriched macaroni product.
Refined grains have had the fiber stripped during processing and it is not generally added back to the product.
This is more than a third (36.5%) of the recommended daily value of sodium.”
Kraft Heinz
“Despite its gourmet name, this product is calorically dense and nutritionally unbalanced.”
Guinness Cracked Black Pepper Macaroni & Cheese Crafted with Cabot Farmers' Reserve
And the No.
“This mac and cheese is a calorie bomb and with an eye popping amount of sodium.
Walmart
Walmart
