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Kraft Mac and Cheese | Chewsday Review

An American turned Aussie staple family dish; quick, fun and loved by all. But is the packet stuff an ok option to include regularly? This week I dive into Kraft Mac and Cheese to decide whether it's worth adding to your quick grab mealtime options.

Ingredients

Pasta (80%) (Wheat flour, Traces of Egg, Milk and Soy), Cheese Sauce Powder (20%) [Milk Protein, Natural Cheese Flavour (Contains Milk, Natural Colours (Paprika Extract, Annatto Extract)), Cheese (Contains Milk, Egg), Skim Milk Powder (Contains Traces of Soy), Corn Starch, Salt, Traces of Wheat].
The paprika and annatto extracts give it the yellow ‘cheese’ colour.
Allergens: Wheat, soy, egg, milk.
Note: Products like this where you have to add ingredients to get the final product can be confusing to compare with each other, especially since brands have different preparation methods. The per 100g values below are for the final prepared product, as that’s what we’re eating.

Positives

Sodium is low at 210mg per 100g. This is comparable to Continental Classics Favourite Macaroni Cheese (280mg per 100g). This is lower than I expected (but still not suitable under 12 months of age). A serving provides 300mg, which is also a bit less than I expected (although not a low salt product by any means). This product recommends salted butter, so to reduce the sodium content, you could try adding unsalted butter.
Low in sugar (4.4g per 100g), which is expected for a savoury dish.
It’s reasonably quick to make (although perhaps not as quick as I expected)! Sixteen minutes on the stove can be a long time with hungry kids around… If they’re really hungry, San Remo Macaroni Cheese can be made in the microwave in 9 minutes.

Negatives

When prepared as directed the added butter and milk pushes up the saturated fat content above recommendations to 4.9g per 100g (we’re aiming for less than 3g per 100g). This is higher than Continental Macaroni Cheese (1.1g per 100g) and San Remo Macaroni Cheese (1.4g per 100g).
Given the cheese sauce component is 20% of the product and cheese flavour sits higher on the list than actual cheese, I would say it’s more Mac with a “hint” of cheese.
It’s not a particularly balanced meal, with minimal protein and no veggies to speak of.
No fibre content is provided, which generally implies it’s not worth including. Pasta does have some fibre in it, so there will be a small amount in this product.
The directions are only for the stovetop. A microwave option would make it even more convenient! Both San Remo and Continental Macaroni Cheese give you this option.

Marketing

Alternatives

This product surprised me. I expected to see a much higher sodium content and although the saturated fat content isn’t ideal, you can play around with it by using reduced fat milk and/or margarine or olive oil spread instead of butter.
It’s not a particularly balanced meal on its own, but serving it alongside or adding some other ingredients, like roast veg, peas, corn or BBQ chicken, would tick off a few more food groups.
If you had the time to make it, a homemade version of “Mac and Cheese” would likely contain more cheese, but while that would up the protein content, it would likely also increase the sodium and saturated fat content.