This Healthy Hack for Boxed Mac n Cheese combines two super sneaky EASY ways to boost the nutrition in your kid’s favorite boxed dinner!
Healthy Hack for Boxed Mac
Kids love Mac and Cheese. Parents love giving them an easy, affordable, no-argument meal with very little cleanup. We serve more of this stuff than I would comfortably like to admit so to keep any sense of guilt at bay, I’ve come up with two simple strategies to sneak in some extra nutrition without adding extra work. AND the kids still love it.
The Big Secret
With my special touches, humble Mac & Cheese includes a secret serving of veggies, a serving of dairy and a protein boost…while still looking like regular ole Mac and Cheese. What is this magical elixir you ask? I’ll give you a hint:
Yep, I add riced cauliflower and Greek Yogurt. Thats all there is to it really. When I toss the noodles into the boiling water, I also toss in 1 cup of frozen riced cauliflower. Then, when I mix the cheese sauce, instead of using butter, I add a 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt and just enough milk to give it a creamy texture. Thats it.
Happy Kids
And the kids don’t even care. For the longest time they didn’t even realize that’s how I was making it and once they figured it out they just shrugged and kept on eating. One important thing to note is the type of boxed Mac you choose. I always choose the kind with noodles that are shaped like animals or whatever, because the cauliflower seems to just disappear. If you’re using the regular tube shaped noodles, the cauliflower might be a little more obvious.
As for the yogurt, I can’t take credit for that idea. Its written on the back of the Annie’s Mac N Cheese Box and I think its genius. While we’re on the subject, I recommend the Annies Organic Bernie’s Farm Variety because its basically the ONLY Boxed Mac and Cheese with 3 grams of Fiber (trust me, I’ve spent a lot of time in that particular grocery aisle) — if you look closely it has the little whole grains symbol on the box. And if we’re doing healthy Mac and Cheese we might as well start with the healthiest box of Mac right (as long as your kids will eat it of course).
When I serve this Healthy Hack for Boxed Mac I usually throw in a side of microwave-steamed peas or edamame for a little more protein and another serving veg, plus a fruit and a glass of milk. Easy peasy balanced dinner. Happy kids. Done.
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A Healthy Hack for Boxed Mac n Cheese
Description
Two super sneaky EASY ways to boost the nutrition in your kid’s favorite boxed Mac and Cheese!
Ingredients
- 1 Box of Macaroni and Cheese (I recommend Annie’s Organic Bernie’s Farm Whole Grain Variety)
- 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1–2 tablespoons of milk, as needed
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan set over high heat.
- When water boils, add macaroni noodles and cauliflower. Cook according to package directions and drain noodles in a mesh colander (so the cauliflower doesn’t drain away).
- Pour cheese sauce into saucepan. Add Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of milk and stir until the mixture is a smooth, saucy consistency. If too thick, add more milk.
- Add pasta back into pot and stir until cheese is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.
