The Best Protein Mac And Cheese Easily Outshines Kraft And Annie's

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You could always make your own protein mac and cheese at home, but then you'd need to swap traditional pasta for protein pasta, add some whipped cottage cheese or silken tofu to the cheese sauce, or boost the protein with canned tuna. It's a lot. Or you could make things simple and use a pantry shortcut: boxed mac and cheese. In this era of protein-maxxing, brands have read the market's turn toward protein and they've delivered, with varying levels of success.

Last month, Tasting Table tried six types of protein mac and cheese to see which was worth space in your pantry. Goodles Cheddy Mac won, outranking well-known brands such as Annie's, Kraft, and Banza. In our tasting, we were looking to find a protein mac and cheese that tasted as close to the traditional version as possible. Goodles was creamy, cheesy, and slightly sweet with a velvety textured sauce and a vibrant color. "The feat of adding additional nutrients, protein, and fiber to such a well-loved dish, without sacrificing its indulgent qualities, is a challenge," we wrote, "but Goodles rose to the occasion." In comparison, Kraft's mac had a chewier consistency and a muted, less cheesy flavor, and while we enjoyed Annie's, Goodles won out due to its greater number of nutrients.

Goodles is a newer entry to the boxed mac market, with years of catching up to do before it can match Kraft or Annie's influence. However, in the short time it's been on the market, it's made waves. It has colorful packaging which stands out from the competition, trendy marketing, and unique flavors like Wild Wild Pesto and Twist My Parm. However, most importantly, it tastes, as we noted, "virtually identical" to traditional boxed mac and cheese — even while bringing 14 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber to each serving. The ingredient list reads more like a salad than a traditional pasta, with ingredients like broccoli, kale, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms.

Based on online reviews, it seems like Goodles is quickly stealing away customers from more traditional brands. One user in a discussion under R/macandcheese said, "I actually stopped buying Annie's because Goodles are so good." Travistocats also posted in R/macandcheese, writing, "In my opinion Goodles is definitely better [than Kraft]. It's just got more flavor."

While Goodles won our taste test of protein mac and cheese, it also did incredibly well on our best traditional boxed mac and cheese ranking, proving that it can hold its own against traditional mac and cheeses. Customers don't just love it as a healthy option, but hold it in high esteem across all boxed macs on the market. Take it from M0therlulu, who said, "Goodles is the best boxed mac and cheese I've had. There, I said it."