Question about mac and cheese..

ygglove

I'm really wanting some grilled chicken and mac and cheese... but I'm REALLY trying to stay away from the bad stuff.. I know I CAN eat things in moderation. I know that I shouldn't be a die hard dieter or I might fail.. and I'm not. I limit my self.. but my question is, HOW bad is BOXED mac and cheese for you? Will it slow down your metabolism? I've already weaned my self from pastas, so it won't bother me if I can't have it... JW.

Thanks to everyone who replied! I just needed to know whether or not it would harm/stall my progress, and I got a lot of really great advice, and recipes out of this.

fzyfrog

Boxed mac and cheese is loaded with fat and sodium. You'd be better off making your own. Whole grain elbow noodles, fat free cheese and some fat free greek yogurt give it a great creamy texture.

nikki91950

Boxed mac and cheese is loaded with fat and sodium. You'd be better off making your own. Whole grain elbow noodles, fat free cheese and some fat free greek yogurt give it a great creamy texture.

trying this

terrellc1

Have the grilled chicken and some grilled veggies and sprinkle them with parm. You will feel much better about your choices.

However, if you choose to eat the boxed mac and cheese...then you are making the decision to eat crap. No whining afterwards about what a bad decision you made. We don't want to hear it.

Shrinking_Xtina

I make this recipe all the time and I love it:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/05/lighter-baked-macaroni-and-cheese.html

Akahime

It's the salt content that is the worst. Do yourself a favor and make your own mac n cheese using whole wheat pasta and fat-free ricotta cheese. There's a lot of recipes online try the Cooking Light website. You can even put a little shredded cheddar on top and panko bread crumbs for real homestyle flavor. I'm made a mac n cheese that used pumpkin in the recipe once and it wasn't bad but a little bland. Next time I'll spice it up a bit with some seasonings.

peteb79

You don't have to follow the directions on the box, I use skim milk and half the required butter, my kids never noticed a difference.

SergeantSunshine_reused

If it fits in your macros it wont slow your progress

Losing2Live69

Google "Hungry Girl" and look for her mac -n- cheese recipe. It tastes awesome and is lower in fat, sodium, and calories.

SixCatFaerie

Boxed mac and cheese is loaded with fat and sodium. You'd be better off making your own. Whole grain elbow noodles, fat free cheese and some fat free greek yogurt give it a great creamy texture.

^^^This!^^^

I gave up trying to make the boxed kind healthier, so now I just make my own. MUCH better!

I also find this website very helpful for a ton of things!

http://www.dashingdish.com/



Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

SergeantSunshine_reused

Have the grilled chicken and some grilled veggies and sprinkle them with parm. You will feel much better about your choices.

However, if you choose to eat the boxed mac and cheese...then you are making the decision to eat crap. No whining afterwards about what a bad decision you made. We don't want to hear it.

Harsh eh? Its not even that bad of a decision.

istalkzombies

Boxed mac and cheese is loaded with fat and sodium. You'd be better off making your own. Whole grain elbow noodles, fat free cheese and some fat free greek yogurt give it a great creamy texture.

trying this

me to! yum

taso42

Just a warning about fat free cheese: don't eat it!

Unwrapping_Candy

STEP AWAY FROM THE MAC AND CHEESE BEFORE CAESER GET MAD!!!!

Rae6503

If it fits in your macros it wont slow your progress

Yeah, I eat it all the time, regular ol' Kraft Mac and Cheese. There are directions for "light prep" on the box.

shivaslives

I just had to laugh that so many people viewed and commented on the post with "mac and cheese" in the subject line. We all love it and its soooooo bad for us. You can't make pasta and creamy cheese sauce low calorie, but you can make it healthy and there are a lot of good suggestions here. Enjoy in moderation.

ChantalAguiar

If you have to ask you probably shouldn't eat it. You've got to train your body to enjoy and crave the healthy food it needs! It's not easy but I promise it will happen. You'll wake up thinking I want spinach, feta and egg whites not pancakes, hash browns and sausage.

fzyfrog

Just a warning about fat free cheese: don't eat it!

Fat free is not required. There is also lower fat or even 2% cheese would be fine. Any of those are still better than boxed mac and cheese.

havalinaaa

If you think this is a one time craving, or if it's something you only want every few months and the box stuff is what you crave, then have it and just drink some extra water, make room for it in your count for the day. If it's something you want weekly, find a healthier alternative.

IronmanPanda

If you're going to eat cheese and dairy, go for the full fat stuff. You don't want the fat free crap.
<-- These guns are a product of the full fat stuff.

ygglove

Have the grilled chicken and some grilled veggies and sprinkle them with parm. You will feel much better about your choices.

However, if you choose to eat the boxed mac and cheese...then you are making the decision to eat crap. No whining afterwards about what a bad decision you made. We don't want to hear it.

I understand that. That's why I was asking HOW bad it was for you. Obviously I don't want to do more harm to my body than I already have. It's been sitting in my pantry since before I started eating healthier and I had the urge to eat it.

vim_n_vigor

I had some tonight probably won't have it again for a few months.

ygglove

Boxed mac and cheese is loaded with fat and sodium. You'd be better off making your own. Whole grain elbow noodles, fat free cheese and some fat free greek yogurt give it a great creamy texture.

One day I'm going to try that. I've been eating greek yogurt lately- I've noticed it's becoming quite popular.

ygglove

I had some tonight probably won't have it again for a few months.

Do you feel like it slows/slowed down your progress?

Silverkittycat

It does have a decent amount of protein in it.

bjberry

Mac n cheese (boxed, with premade cheese pack) has 320 calories for a 1 cup serving.
- 10g fat (90 calories),
- 900 mg sodium,
- 45g carbs, and
- 1g fiber.
I just wanted to remind you what is in boxes of noodles and premade cheese, without you having to make a special trip to research this item.
Your choice! :drinker: (drink lots of water)

ygglove

I just had to laugh that so many people viewed and commented on the post with "mac and cheese" in the subject line. We all love it and its soooooo bad for us. You can't make pasta and creamy cheese sauce low calorie, but you can make it healthy and there are a lot of good suggestions here. Enjoy in moderation.

Haha thank you (:

ygglove

Mac n cheese (boxed, with premade cheese pack) has 320 calories for a 1 cup serving.
- 10g fat (90 calories),
- 900 mg sodium,
- 45g carbs, and
- 1g fiber.
I just wanted to remind you what is in boxes of noodles and premade cheese, without you having to make a special trip to research this item.
Your choice! :drinker: (drink lots of water)

Thanks, I read the label**. I was just more or less wondering how much it would SLOW down my efforts. I do drink a lot of water, I'm a water lover.

Elizabeth_C34

I have a really good baked mac n' cheese recipe that is much much better for you.

1 medium box of macaroni noodles (whole wheat is better but regular noodles are fine too)
1 egg
2 cups fresh grated cheese (you can get whatever kind you like, but good melty cheddar works well)
1 cup skim mozarella
1 cup fresh chopped tomatos
chopped basil
chopped parsley
1 clove diced garlic
1 medium onion diced

Cook macaroni and drain. Preheat oven to 350. Mix all but basil and parsley in large casserole dish. Mix well and spread evenly over casserole dish. Mix in basil. Top with parsley. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serves 8. Serving size is about 1 cup.

You can also put tuna or diced grilled chicken in there. Just watch your portion sizes.

-

As for the box mac n' cheese, you can have it as long as it fits in your calorie budget for the day. Just make it a rare indulgence.

ygglove

Thank you (:

vim_n_vigor

I had a cup of it. Most of what I had the rest of today was fruit and veggies. I like pasta, and I eat it occasionally so I don't get a huge craving for it. I will drink some extra water and I will be fine.