What is the supreme boxed mac-and-cheese?
Boxed mac and cheese can range from amazing to subpar. The question is, what is the best kind of boxed mac and cheese? Here are our thoughts based on three catagories of appearance, nutrition, and taste.
Box Appearance
Madi: There are many routes to deciding the most appealing appearance of boxed mac & cheese. I think it really comes down to the aesthetics; the colors of the box, the font, the logo, everything. There are very few boxed mac and cheese that meet this criteria for me. Without considering any other factors of the mac and cheese, I feel that the Goodles- Cheddy Mac box is the ultimate box appearance.
The Goodles box has it all. Starting with the color, it pops. Walking down an aisle in the grocery store, this box of mac would undoubtedly catch my eye. The beautiful contrast between the cool teal and the bright orange is fun and alluring. The font is fun and childlike, just like how mac and cheese should feel. One of Goodles many slogans, "Time travel back to being a kid," fits the image of this design flawlessly. This box inspires nostalgia of youth and simple lunches during the summer time. This advertises the noodles perfectly, making you want whatever waits at the end of a 9 minute prep time. You also know what you're getting into right away with important nutrition labels right on the front and Goodles facts right on the side. Everything is easy to read, making you want Goodles just that much more.
Kasie: When I originally thought about what I consider to be a great appearance for a box mac and cheese, I thought of a box being colorful and busy. After all, mac and cheese was a staple to my childhood and isn't ones childhood defined by colorful objects such as clothes and toys? However, after looking at numerous boxed mac and cheese brands for the past couple of days, there was one box that continued to stay with me based on its' appearance and that was Kraft. There is something about Kraft's minimalist box design that I found appealing. I loved the royal blue background of the box and the centerpiece of the box, a large spoon with Kraft mac and cheese on it. Additionally, I liked how Kraft acknowledged that their mac and cheese is cheesy on the box by stating, "smmmile it's the cheesiest." For those who are unaware what mac and cheese they should get but know that they want their mac and cheese to be cheesy, the customer knows in advance that Kraft can offer cheesy mac and cheese, thus allowing the customer make their decision accordingly. When it comes to mac and cheese, a vibrant box with bold letters is not necessary to emphases the incredible taste mac and cheese has to offer, instead a basic simple box of mac and cheese can do the job just fine.
Bradley: The unstoppable Cracker Barrel boxed Mac and cheese take the (cheese)cake with its smooth premium freshly made by your granny, southern looking feast presented on the box. Not to mention the clean and simple black background with its flattering yellow banners shooting across the eye-catching shaped box. Cracker Barrel is without a doubt the best-looking brand of Box mac and cheese to ever exist.
Reagan: When looking at the Mac and Cheese section you have the classic colors of a Kraft or a Velveeta box. Those bright warm colors with contrasting cool tones, as a child I would have gravitated towards a more colorful or bold looking box, now I gravitate towards a more relaxed not busy box. With that in mind the box that sticks out the most is the Cracker Barrel. A Cracker Barrel box looks very modern. Cracker Barrel has a very simplistic theme but also adds color with the pictures of the mac and cheese and the little touches of modern design.
A modern look isn't for all people but the bright colors of say a Trader Joes box isn't as appealing as Cracker Barrel. I like the white cheddar box of Cracker Barrel mac and cheese because the green is such a different color on a mac and cheese box. Out of all the boxes, the most appealing to the eye, the one box that makes you wonder why it's so unique is clearly the Cracker Barrel boxed mac and cheese.
Rachel: After researching and looking at the designs on all of the boxes, I think the most appealing box is the Kraft Deluxe Original Cheddar. The word “deluxe” is written in a font that suggests to buyers that the mac will be very tasty and almost fancy. The word "deluxe" also implies that this mac and cheese is the overall superior choice. With the box color being a darker blue shade, it really highlights and focuses on the yellow/almost gold noodles. The noodles look very creamy and a small detail on the box is "made with real cheese" - which is always more appealing. I think the box is on the simpler side but nevertheless is the best looking box of mac and cheese.
Nutrition
Madi: In regards to simply comparing ingredients and nutrition labels, one of the healthier options for boxed mac is Banza Plant-Based Mac With Chickpea Pasta. Per 1 cup of this pasta you get 210 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 660 miligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbs, 6 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, and 14 grams of protein. To put in comparison to a normal box of mac, Kraft has about 250 calories and 47 grams of carbs, a sizable difference. The biggest different with Banza products is the Chickpea pasta. This cuts out large amounts of carbs and replaces with other healthier ingredients. On top of other important comparable nutrients facts, Banza is gluten free and vegan, which opens up lots of opportunity to those with dietary restrictions. If you're looking for the healthiest options, Banza's boxed mac should be at the top of your list.
Kasie : The healthiest mac and cheese that I have seen and tried on the market is Banza Plant-Base Mac With Chickpea Pasta. During quarantine back in 2020, I made it a priority to eat healthier and finding a healthy alternative for boxed mac and cheese was pretty difficult for me. After days of searching for a boxed mac and cheese that I deemed to be healthy, I found Banza mac and cheese. Something so great about this brand of mac and cheese is that it is great for people who have dietary restrictions. Anyone who is gluten free or vegan can eat this boxed mac and still have the satisfaction knowing that they ate healthy due to the noodles being made of chickpeas instead carbohydrates that other boxed mac and cheese noodles are made out of. Not only does one serving of Banza have 13g of protein, 0g of saturated fat, but it also is only 210 calories! If you or anyone you know is looking for a health alternative to boxed mac and cheese, Banza is definitely the way to go!
Bradley: When most people start to think of mac and cheese they don't start thinking about healthy eating most think of just how unhealthy it can be, however one need not worry about health or animal cruelty when they choose to treat themselves and their wallets to Annie's breathtakingly healthy Macaroni. Annie's is entirely made with organic pasta and only 270 calories Annie's is the safe and healthy mac that so many disparate mothers search for. No other mac is so fulfilling and low calorie as Annie's.
Reagan: As it may seem to no surprise Annie's is one of the healthiest boxed mac and cheeses out there. As there are many many mac and cheeses that are made out of vegetables or other ingredients, Annie's still is "Normal“ mac and cheese. The amount of calories in a box of Annie's mac and cheese per serving is 270, which is pretty good speaking with the fact that it is boxed mac and cheese alone. Maybe a box of vegetable or other made noodles is healthier but to be true mac and cheese it definitely should be made without vegetables into noodles or cheese.
Rachel: With the aspect of nutrition in mind, Annie's definitely takes the win. There are no artificial flavors, preservatives, and is made with organic pasta. Per serving, Annie's mac and cheese is only 270 calories and has 100 milligrams of calcium. While mac and cheese is not considered a healthy snack, Annie's is definitely the best considering nutrition!
Taste
Madi: This is where I get really passionate about my boxed mac and cheese. Out of all of the different brands and flavors that I have tried, I feel that Annie's Shells & White Cheddar Mac & Cheese is the best tasting boxed mac and cheese. The balance between the perfect shell shape and the savory flavor of white cheddar is the perfect marriage between texture and taste.
Not only is Annie's straight up good, it is on the healthy spectrum for mac and cheese. As seen on the front label, 80% of Annie's ingredients are organic, which is already a better option compared to processed ingredients in brands like Kraft and Velveeta.
Making Annie's is easy too. With a speedy prep time and ease to add in ingredients like butter or milk. Its easy to personalize this mac, and its hard to mess up. When preparing other brands, I feel that it is easy to make the mac too creamy, too milky, too anything. However, Annie's is the perfect balance and you know just by the look of the mac what is just right. It's easy to personalize and have fun with, and no matter what, you will end up with a good mac and cheese meal.
All Annie's products are good, but Shell's & White Cheddar is by far the best. Its different from the normal cheddar flavor, and the shells are a great switch up from your normal noodle. Everything about this mac is to die for. It hits the spot in every perfect way and leaves you feeling filled, but not stuffed. Its my go to mac and the first thing that I will always suggest to eveyone to try.
Kasie : Since mac and cheese was my favorite food growing up, I always tried new kinds of mac and cheese. Whether it was a different brand of mac, a different flavor of mac, or if a box had differently shaped noodles, I probably have tried it at some point in my life. While I do like to consider myself a mac and cheese enthusiast, I know that a lot of people will disagree with my opinion because it is not a popular one; however, I am extremely passionate about what mac and cheese tastes the best, and without a doubt it is Velveeta. Out of all of the boxes of mac and cheese, Velveeta's shells are out of this world amazing. The small, circular, flat mac and cheese shells soaks in all of the creamy cheese sauce that comes in the box, allowing for there to be a great shell to cheese ratio in each bite of mac and cheese. Once the noodles are done cooking for brands such as Kraft or Annie's, people have to pour milk and the cheese packet that came in the box in the pan to mix everything together. When people are adding milk, sometimes people add to much, which causes the mac and cheese to have a soupy consistency and this ultimately ruins the shell to cheese ratio. However, with Velveeta, I never have to worry about that because each box comes with a repackaged bag of cheese and I do not have to manually add milk and butter to the shells. While the shells of Velveeta mac and cheese plays an important role in what makes Velveeta taste the best in my mind, the cheese that comes in every box truly sets Velveeta apart from other brands of boxed mac and cheese. The cheese in Velveeta mac and cheese is so creamy and smooth. Compared to Annie's or Kraft, the cheese for Velveeta is already mixed up so the chances of finding clumps of dry powered cheese will never be an issue. Additionally, the cheese that deliberately and carefully coats each shell, has a great flavor and you can't always guarantee that with every box of mac and cheese, especially if the box comes with powered cheese.
Reagan: To me that would be what makes it feel like childhood, and that would be Kraft. Kraft Mac and Cheese has such a nostalgic experience and taste. Kraft mac and cheese tastes better than any boxed mac and cheese I have had. And it gets even better when the noodles are shaped in the shapes of TV show Characters or movie characters, which brings back that nostalgic feeling of childhood. The feeling of when life wasn't hard and playing on a summer day and stopping for lunch to find out you are having Kraft proves it has the best taste. There's nothing like reflecting on childhood and having all the memories flood in based on a certain brand of food.
Bradley: Having been someone who lost a lot of their taste from COVID I'm left only yo remember what mac even tastes like, and when i think back on the cheesy goodness I'll miss I think of none other than Kraft mac and cheese. No other brand or style of Mac can
Rachel: The best tasting mac and cheese is by far the original Kraft. This boxed mac and cheese is so widely known and is an obvious choice for many. I think that some may try to argue that Kraft isn't the best because of an artificial taste. But, what are the most yummy foods to eat including things like chips, candy, and cookies? The foods that are artificial are sadly great tasting. While Kraft is not the healthiest, it is definitely the snack or side dish that will bring a smile to your face.