The Beloved Mac And Cheese Brand That's Also One Of The Unhealthiest

When it comes to comfort foods, there's nothing that feels more like a warm blanket engulfing you in coziness than macaroni and cheese. Like all comfort foods, unfortunately, mac and cheese isn't always the healthiest dish, particularly when you're buying the boxed version. While some brands seem more indulgent than others, it may not surprise you that the "dangerously cheesy" Cheetos brand is also one of the unhealthiest, particularly when it comes to saturated fat and sodium.

Comparing brands of boxed macaroni and cheese can be tricky. Serving sizes range from about two-and-a-half ounces (for Cheetos) to four ounces (for Velveeta). Some brands provide additional nutrition facts for their products as prepared — usually with the addition of butter and milk — while others provide all of the ingredients you need in the box (again, Velveeta). But, after weighing the amount of the nutrients you should avoid, such as sodium and saturated fat, against the nutrients you need (calcium, potassium, fiber, and protein), Cheetos Mac 'n Cheese Bold & Cheesy comes out as the unhealthiest among six of the most popular brands. What Cheetos has to offer other than great taste (it was number two of 17 boxed mac and cheese brands) is 9 grams of protein per serving.

Per serving, Cheetos Mac 'n Cheese has 1.5 grams of saturated fat (7% of the 22 grams total recommended); 620 milligrams of sodium (27% percent of the 2400 milligram per-day maximum); just 80 milligrams of calcium (4% of the daily value); 220 milligrams of potassium (again, just 4% of the daily value); and 2 grams of fiber (6% of the daily value). Daily values, which are set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are the maximum amount of nutrients of concern and the minimum amount of nutrients you need.

The primary reason that Cheetos and other brands of boxed mac and cheese have so much sodium and saturated fat is because of the cheese. Salt is an important component of cheese production. It not only helps impart the umami flavor we love so much but also acts as a preservative. Most of the well-known brands contain some real cheese –- usually cheddar –- except for Kraft Original, which uses a cheese sauce mix. Cheese is also to blame for the higher levels of saturated fat, which is inherent to dairy products.

Among the most popular brands of boxed mac and cheese, there are some better choices. If you are concerned about saturated fat, Annie's Classic Cheddar, Cabot Creamery's Yellow Cheddar, and Cracker Barrel's Sharp Cheddar all have lower levels of saturated fat on an ounce-for-ounce basis. Annie's is the lowest in sodium, although at 270 milligrams, it is still more than 10% of daily recommendations. On the plus side, Cabot's has 4 grams of fiber per 2.5-ounce serving. Cracker Barrel will give you 180 milligrams of calcium per 3-ounce serving, making it a good source of the bone-building nutrient. If you're eating out, keep in mind that at Cracker Barrel restaurants, a kids' portion of mac and cheese is 1410 milligrams of sodium.

If you want to put a healthy spin on your favorite comfort food, one of the ways you can make your mac and cheese taste better and healthier is by adding veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, or butternut squash. But, boxed products may be getting healthier: the FDA recently released new sodium reduction targets for the food industry that could lower U.S. sodium intake closer to recommended levels.