A time honored dinner – Kraft Mac & Cheese – is finally changing its recipe. And change is good.
Why is Kraft changing their lengthy ingredient list? Not to shorten it, but to make it healthy. Although, they say “healthier” as if there was nothing wrong with the product in the first place.
“Parents have told us that they would like fun Mac & Cheese varieties with the same great taste, but with improved nutrition,” says Lynne Galia, a Kraft spokesperson. Her statement implies that the only reason Kraft is removing harmful ingredients is to make us happy, and not for, you know, all the right reasons.
Her statement also implies that Mac & Cheese, fresh out of a box, is healthy. “Improved nutrition” means that there is currently a nutritional value to the meal, and Kraft’s concern is improving it. Well, thank you Kraft.
I Guess We Can’t Be Upset
Yes, yes we can.
The inappropriate ingredients that Kraft is removing are Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6. But Kraft isn’t even changing all of their American products. Any box of Kraft Mac & Cheese made for kids: SpongeBob shaped noodles, Halloween shapes, and two new products (How To Train Your Dragon 2, and Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles) will change.
The Original elbow macaroni Kraft Mac & Cheese will not be changing, even though it has already changed overseas. In the UK, any product containing Yellow No. 5 or Yellow No. 6 dye has to be labelled “This product may have adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
The dyes are known to negatively change our children’s attention spans, activity levels, and even brain development. In fact, Yellow No. 5 has been linked to hyperactivity, asthma, some skin conditions and cancer. So it’s not just for “adverse effects in children”.
Instead of adding the label, Kraft decided to change their Mac & Cheese. In the UK. Not in America. Do we need to put the pressure on? Do we need to implement labels? No, because Food Babe’s Vani Hari started a petition.
Pleased But Puzzled
The petition met resounding success, with more than 348,000 people signing. But Kraft is only changing what they “need” to change.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest hailed Kraft’s decision. Michael Jacobson, the center’s executive director, was pleased with Kraft’s announcement, but he was also puzzled as to why Kraft would not change all of their American products.
“All of the ingredients must work together to deliver the distinctive taste, appearance and texture consumers expect and love from Original KRAFT Mac & Cheese. Our fans have made it clear they won’t settle for anything less,” is Galia’s response.
But Kraft has proven it can make the same “delicious” product without the harmful chemicals. They’ve proven it in the UK, they’ve proven it in the US, so why not implement these changes across the entire product line?
For these big companies, that serve us dinner out of cardboard boxes, it’s all about money. We know whole products cost a little more, but the benefits way outweigh the costs.
Homemade Healthy Alternative
You will need:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni – try to choose whole sprouted wheat, or gluten free.
1 tablespoon of grass fed organic butter
1 small yellow onion
1 small butternut squash (4-5 cups cubed)
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¾ cup grass fed milk. Only use the highest quality grain-fed milk. You can also use coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup organic shredded cheese
Preparation:
Boil water and cook the macaroni, drain and set aside. Heat butter in a large skillet over low heat. Cut the onion into thin rings and add to the butter in the pan, sauteing over low heat until fragrant and golden, about 20 minutes.
Skin and seed the squash. Cut the flesh into small cubes. Bring the broth to a boil and add the squash. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender – just poke with a fork to check. Drain, saving a half-cup of broth, and transfer squash to the blender. Add the onions, milk, salt, the saved broth and puree until completely smooth and creamy. This should yield about 4 cups sauce.
Pour the pureed sauce over the cooked noodles and add the shredded cheese. Stir the cheese in to melt.
If the consistency isn’t where it needs to be, add a tiny bit of water. Top with parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
Please Note:
When caramelizing the onions, keep the heat low to prevent burning. The deeper the golden color, the more flavorful they will be.
So stop buying the Mac & Cheese that comes out of a box. Think outside the box, and prepare healthy, holistic meals your family can wholly enjoy.
For more healthy alternatives to comfort foods, click here.
Enjoy.
SOURCE:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/01/health/kraft-macaroni-cheese-dyes/
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