Processed Mac & Cheese Experiment

CandyR1018

So, for the last 3 or 4 years, I usually make my own mac&cheese. I use whole wheat elbows, real butter, sharp cheddar and dry nonfat milk mixed w/ water. My 4 year old likes it and will eat what I put on his plate with a little coaxing.

NOW...to give me a break, the husband decides to buy a couple of boxes of the popular boxed mac & cheese to fix...this was a suprise to me. So I went ahead and prepared it, served the 4 year old, served the husband, and guess what, the little brat had SUCKED down what I put on his plate and was begging for more!!!

I put one bite in my mouth and thought I was going to gag! So does the processed stuff have crack in it or what?

brimir

I like KD.... it's not just kids that like it!

SCrompton

Definitely has crack in it LOL ....I LOVE KD!!!...HUUUGE weakness lol

YukonJoy

My man is also addicted to chemical flavoured cheese.

I think it is atrocious

Thankilates

I think it's all the extra "flavoring" they add to it. What is in the box IS like crack! I have to admit, I really don't eat pasta often OR mac and cheese. HOWEVER- stupid boxed mac and cheese is like a weird craving I get a few times a year... It's basically equivalent to eating a candy bar... but worse! LOL

I think the more important thing is the fact that companies are MARKETING to kids tastes. And this will not only addict them, but ruin their growth, the way their brain works and more than likely lead to obesity... I'm not talking about your kid, or the once in awhile kid... I'm talking about the families that eat this crap 4-5 times a week and fruity pebbles on the other days. Trust me, they are out there!

teenio7

I think it's the whole wheat shells. I recently tried to replace regular ones with the whole wheat ones and it has an 'off' taste I ended up throwing it away.

blakegreen

My wife's homemade mac & cheese blows that boxed crap out of the water. I grew up loving Kraft cheesyest. no i wont touch that stuff!

Qarol

Mac n cheese is so easy to make from scratch...yum!
The boxed stuff tastes like box.

bcattoes

You can buy boxed macaroni and cheese that is whole grain and organic. It's pretty good, but it's not cheap.

bcattoes

I think it's the whole wheat shells. I recently tried to replace regular ones with the whole wheat ones and it has an 'off' taste I ended up throwing it away.

I agree. I don't like whole wheat pasta, except maybe in a pasta salad. I use Barilla Plus or Barilla Picollini, because they have a much better taste. And Barilla Plus has better nutrition than whole wheat. Quinoa pasta is good also.

carmelvineyard

I dunno, but all 3 of mine will eat the processed stuff better than they will anything I make- and usually better than Daddy's food too! I do think that the food manufacturers spend a lot of time and money testing combinations to make their product the most irresistable thing they can possibly make. Given a lack of processed foods (which have not been a normal thing for us during their lifetimes) they will eat restaurant foods before homemade food, probably for the same reason. (Though the begging for McDonald's is more for the playground, judging from how much they eat it.

I say, stick to your guns and keep making homemade. My 10 yr old decided on his own to eat the things on his plate that he didn't like first, and now eats his whole plate (yay, puberty?) His sisters are still fighting us, but will come around eventually- they eat broccoli, after all. The important thing is for them to know what real food tastes like, not stuff that has been pawned off as food and made to taste better than it is. That gives them the tools to make good choices later on.

ilookthetype

Mac n cheese is so easy to make from scratch...yum!
The boxed stuff tastes like box.

True story. I was raised on homemade mac 'n' cheese, I hate the box crap.

jackiejax1981

Damn....I use shells, cheddar, fontina, gouda and holy CRAP it's too good. Haven't made it in a few years and afraid I have to give it up completely cuz it's so good with a roasted chicken n veggies, that's like...thanksgiving! HAHAHA! I can't stand the boxed crap, I've been making everything myself my whole life, cuz my mom did.....i don't have a taste for pre-made, boxed or frozen meals.

savethecat

My wife has a processed mac 'n cheese addiction as well. I can't understand it! I'll take homemade anything any day over that pre made boxed crap.

Oh, especially when it has bread crumbs on the bottom or top. Mmm...

It's gotta be laced crack in that blue box... gotta be.

Grimmerick

it's a staple in my house, I have to keep at least two boxes or my fiance will complain haha.

Punkedpoetess

My husband like the boxed mac & cheese a lot, but also eats my homemade kind. Still have to keep a few boxes in the house for him. Personally I don't like the boxed kind too much and like it less and less as I get older. Grew up with both kinds and always preferred the homemade kind or the frozen kind (like stoffers). I think they do lace it with crack.

scraver2003

I can eat a whole box by myself. I don't buy it anymore. There is nothing good in it. Probably loaded with MSG (in addition to the crack). My 2 1/2 year old turns his nose up at it. I figure, it is just as well... I know if he would taste it, he would love it.

HMonsterX

Personal taste ftw

I can't stand any sort of cheese, so it's irrelevant to me.

CandyR1018

Don't get me wrong, I grew up on the boxed stuff, once I had the 4 year old I started looking into eating healthier and feeding the family healthier. It has probably been more than 3 years since I had the box stuff and have thankfully lost the taste for it.

It just amazed me how quickly he shoveled that stuff down and wanted more!

teenio7

I think it's the whole wheat shells. I recently tried to replace regular ones with the whole wheat ones and it has an 'off' taste I ended up throwing it away.

I agree. I don't like whole wheat pasta, except maybe in a pasta salad. I use Barilla Plus or Barilla Picollini, because they have a much better taste. And Barilla Plus has better nutrition than whole wheat. Quinoa pasta is good also.

I'll have to try that brand, I've been using wal-mart generic lol. Thanks!

Lavern77

All of the generic boxed mac n cheese are just plain gross, but I absolutely love, and think I'm addicted to kraft mac n cheese, although I do like it homemade from scratch as well. Can't keep the stuff in the house or I would eat it everyday. Usually buy it as a treat on rare occasions now, and make it with light butter and skim milk.