BLOG 539 MACARONI & CHEESE
One of many people’s favorite comfort foods and a dish
served at many social occasions/holidays, is delicious macaroni and cheese.
Unless you are lactose intolerant, most of us have had a homemade or
out-of-a-box version of this noodle and cheese combination. It’s hard to deny
the guilty pleasure of eating it. The mixture of cheese, pasta, butter, and
sometimes cream goes well as a side dish or even as a meal itself. It’s quite an
overdose on cheese be it the fresh or processed type. Obviously, this makes it
high in calories, fat, and sodium.
One conservative serving, i.e. one cup, of macaroni and
cheese has somewhere between 300 and 500 calories. Fat content can range from 5
to 40 grams in a cup, depending on how it is made. Sodium usually falls
somewhere between 600 and 1,200 calories per serving. There are dairy-free and
gluten free options to still be able to eat this dish.
If we wanted to make macaroni and cheese “healthier”, here’s
what we can do…..
First and foremost, being mindful of serving size is
critical. We could start by adding vegetables in place of some of the noodle portions.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and peas go well in the dish. Adding pieces of lean
protein can also cut back on noodle and cheese servings. Add slices of chicken
and lean steak. Using just half the amount of cheese the recipe calls for and
replacing the flavor with herbs and spices is a good adjustment. The preparation
directions on the box don’t have to be precise and less milk and cheese can be
used. Using unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk is another
calorie/fat reducing tip. Wheat pasta or chickpea pasta is another good swap. Xanthium
gum can be used as a thickening agent instead of refined white flour helps is a
good substitute. Olive oil can be used instead of butter. You could even get
rid of pasta entirely and use broccoli/cauliflower florets instead.
We think fondly of macaroni and cheese, and it might have
been one of the first things we could microwave or make on our own as a kid. We
might have even only the macaroni and cheese that was meant to be a “side” at
social events because we didn’t like the main dish. Macaroni and cheese are one
of those that are too good to be healthy for your foods. We can always improve
our choices, only eat less healthy options on occasion, and make our own food
so that we can are in control of all ingredients. Food, when viewed from a nutritional
perspective sure does challenge our tastebuds versus our waistline. Mac and
cheese makes it easy to please any crowd. It’s low cost, can be made in large quantities,
and is not difficult to serve/store. Try a healthier version next time and see
if you can take the healthy macaroni and cheese challenge.