Mac and Cheese: Not From The Box

Notice a difference in the photos above? The mac and cheese on the left probably looks familiar to you, the Kraft mac and cheese, that can be made super quick and easy with a packet of "cheese" powder....but the one on the right is r e a l mac and cheese, with real ingredients that can be easily found in your home, identifiable ingredients that aren't made in a factory, or a chemistry lab. The real mac and cheese may not be as yellow as the Kraft one, but that is totally normal, because the homemade mac and cheese doesn't have dangerous food dyes in it.

If you're a parent I STRONGLY urge you to stop feeding packaged mac and cheese to your kids. Most boxed mac and cheese (Kraft in particular) has food dyes (Yellow #5 and #6) that can strongly effect your child's health, and may lead to hyperactivity, asthma, rashes,  migraines, or other learning disabilities. These dyes are banned in many different countries, but of course are allowed in America. So take a little extra time and use wholesome ingredients that aren't made in a chemistry lab, because in the end it will be worth it.

So is mac and cheese super healthy, and should you eat it everyday? No....but when you do eat it, take the time to make it right, take the little bit of extra energy to use REAL ingredients, instead of just pouring in a powdery substance that Kraft claims is cheese. I'm making it super easy for you to take this step in changing your health by giving you a simple homemade mac and cheese recipe that can be made in bulk to last you/your family through the week. 

The mac and cheese recipe can definitely be considered a base for many different meals...mix in some veggies for extra nutrients, add in some barbecue sauce for a flavor kick, make this mac and cheese your own, and experiment with different cheese, or add-ins!

Ingredients:

1 box of noodles (you can use whatever types of noodles you prefer-whole wheat, gluten free, spaghetti noodles) 

1/4 cup butter (or you can use a natural butter substitute like Earth Balance)

1/4 cup milk (could also use any type of milk substitute like unsweetened almond milk)

2-3 Tbsp. all purpose flour (could also use a gluten free substitute like garbanzo bean flour)

1 1/2 cups cheese of choice (if you have problems with dairy, you could try a cheese alternative, like daiya cheese)

Step One:

Boil your noodles until they are soft, then strain them.

Step Two:

 Use the same pot you cooked your noodles in and on low temperature add in your butter, milk, and flour to create a roux (a base for your cheese sauce) use a whisk to combine the ingredients together to form a smooth, creamy consistency. If you need to add more of any of these ingredients to get this consistency, definitely do! (butter and or milk will make it creamier, flour will make it thicker) You want your roux to look like the bottom right photo below, and be super creamy.

Step Three:

Add in your cheese and stir with a spoon until it's melted, or at least almost melted.

Step Four:

Add back in your noodles, and stir until it's all combined. If the cheese isn't sticking to the noodles very well, add in some more flour.

Step Five:

Enjoy your delicious, REAL mac and cheese!

What's Up With Trans Fats?

Some of you may have heard the word "trans fats" and most of you probably know that it isn't a healthy fat....but do you really know what they are and why they aren't good for you? Well when I learned about what they were and why our bodies hate them, I just had to share it with someone!

So basically trans fats come from the processing (hydrogenation) of fats to make them shelf-stable. Some great examples of foods with trans fats are: processed foods (with dairy products as main ingredients), shelf-stable coffee creamers, refrigerated dough products, margarines and shortenings, and of course sugary treats like doughnuts, cookies, etc. Basically anything that is packaged has some trans fats, and that is because trans fats are only a result from the processing of fats.

Now, that you know what has trans fats....why are they so bad for us? Well our bodies actually can't recognize a trans fat, and therefore our bodies don't know what to do with them. We can absorb, use, or gain any benefits from trans fats.

So the photo above is a photo of a cis fat, which is what the fat looks like before it gets processed. Our bodies recognize these, and know what to do with them....but a trans fat looks like this

See how the two hydrogens are on opposite sides? Our bodies literally can't recognize this. 

To truly understand this hold up your left hand like you're about to give someone a high five....do it, do it right now. Is your hand up? Okay, good. Now put your right hand up to it too, like you're giving yourself a high five, but your palms aren't touching. See how you're thumbs don't line up? Your hands are the same shape, but can line up properly. Well that is what it is like when you eat a trans fat, your body doesn't have the recognition of a fat shaped like that.

So from now on, try to check for trans fats on nutrition labels, or better yet....avoid processed fats! The FDA is slowly aiming towards the reduction of trans fats, but knowing the FDA it may be a decade before any changes get made. Make it easy on your body, and avoid the trans!!