Eat This, Not That / 01

I've probably eaten more Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in my 29 years than anyone else on the planet. So this is not a post where I brag about how much better I eat than you (because I don't!). My favorite is the shapes box, and Eric loves the spirals.

Well, turns out this isn't such a great thing to eat. I was kind of devastated when I realized this, so I'll let it soak in a while...

Recently I found Annie's. It's a great brand that sells lots of food products, including snacks, pastas, pizza crusts and condiments. Their macaroni and cheese is not the healthiest meal ever (it still comes in a box...so this is by no means a real food), but it's easy and tastes great and is a better choice than Kraft if you are still in the transition stage like us to healthier eating. The main reason it is a better choice is because Annie's does not use genetically modified organisms in their products.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Original Flavor

• Contains controversial artificial colors
• Made with refined flours, not whole grain
• Highly processed

Annie's Homegrown Whole Wheat Shells & White Cheddar

• Mineral-rich pasta
• No artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives
• Cheese comes from cows not treated with growth hormone rBST
• Produced without antibiotics, genetically-modified organisms, synthetic hormones and fertilizers, herbicides, irradiation, and persistent pesticides

We buy Annie's in the Health Market at Hy-Vee (our local grocer) or Whole Foods. Please note that I do realize that eating a plate of vegetables would be better, but we're still making baby steps toward better eating, and this is a simple diet switch without changing too many habits at once (which can make you crazy...I know from recent personal experience!).

Anyone else like Annie's?

P.S. Kraft does sell an organic macaroni and cheese, but according to Fooducate it contains MSG-like ingredients.