Navigating the aisles of your local supermarket can be challenging, especially when faced with an overwhelming array of ultra-processed foods. From flashy packaging to health claims that seem too good to be true, making informed choices about what we eat is more important than ever. Yet, deciphering the real story behind these products can often feel daunting.

This is where having simple insights into food processing becomes invaluable. The WISEcode app helps you easily understand the level of processing in your favorite foods. With just a quick scan, you can distinguish between minimally processed options and those laden with preservatives, additives, and other chemicals, empowering you to make smarter choices for you and your family.

Today, we’re diving into the world of boxed mac & cheese—a beloved comfort food that’s a staple in many households. Our team hit the supermarkets across the country with the WISEcode app to evaluate 25 of the most popular boxed mac & cheese options. The results are in! Discover which brands keep it simple and which ones are packed with additives, preservatives, and other chemicals that could be lurking in your next meal.

Clean Eats: Fab Five

• Tie for FIRST Place

  • Goodles Twist My Parm Asiago & Parmesan Protein Mac & Cheese, Lightly Processed

  • Goodles Shella Good Aged White Cheddar Protein Mac & Cheese, Lightly Processed

  • Banza Shells Mac & Cheese White Cheddar Protein Mac, Lightly Processed

• Tie for FOURTH Place

  • Amy’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Rice Mac & Cheese, Lightly Processed

At the top of our  rankings, three boxed mac & cheese options stand out for their minimal processing. Goodles leads the pack with its “Twist My Parm” Asiago & Parmesan Protein Mac & Cheese and “Shella Good” Aged White Cheddar Protein Mac & Cheese, both tying for first place. Co-founded by actress and philanthropist Gal Gadot alongside a team of food industry veterans, Goodles is revolutionizing the mac & cheese category by offering nutrient-packed, flavorful options that defy the stereotypes of this beloved comfort food. With a focus on fun, health, and innovation, Goodles is proving that mac & cheese can be both joyful and nutritious. 

Joining Goodles at the top of our least processed is Banza Shells Mac & Cheese White Cheddar Protein Mac. Banza, founded by brothers Scott and Brian Rudolph, is on a mission to inspire people to eat more chickpeas and other beans. Their chickpea-based pasta is a standout for its nutritional benefits and environmental impact. By turning chickpeas into the foods we all love, Banza is making it easier for people to make healthier choices that are good for both their health and the planet.

Rounding out the top five are Amy’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Rice Mac & Cheese and Meijer’s Elbows & Cheddar Organic Pasta with Cheese Sauce. Amy’s Kitchen, founded by Andy and Rachel Berliner in 1987, was born out of a personal need for organic and vegetarian ready-made meals when Rachel was pregnant with their daughter, Amy. Their commitment to clean, organic ingredients continues to set the standard in the industry. Meijer, a family-owned retailer with over 500 stores across the Midwest, shows that private label brands can compete with the best when it comes to keeping things simple and wholesome, making their Elbows & Cheddar Organic Pasta a standout choice for health-conscious consumers.

The Bottom of the Barrel: The Most Processed Boxed Mac & Cheese

1. Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese, Cheesy Jalapeno Flavor, Super Ultra Processed

2. Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese, Flaming Hot Flavor, Super Ultra Processed

3. Hill Country Fare, Original Mac & Cheese, Super Ultra Processed

4. Tie for Fourth Place

   • Cabot Creamery, Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese Shells, Super Ultra Processed

   • Daiya Dairy Free Gluten Free 4 Cheeze Style with Herbs Vegan Mac & Cheese, SUPF

5. Walmart Great Value Premium Original Shells & Cheese, Ultra Processed

And now, we reach the bottom of the barrel—the most processed boxed mac & cheese products that should give you serious pause before adding them to your cart. Cheetos is a resounding loser with the #1 and #2 most processed options. Cheetos proudly claims to be the “much-loved cheesy treats that are fun for everyone,” with their signature “cheetle” dust and mascot Chester Cheetah spreading cheesy smiles wherever they go. But when it comes to nutrition, Cheetos’ mac & cheese is a different story. These products are more about shock value and less about anything beneficial for your health.

Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese in both Flaming Hot and Cheesy Jalapeno flavors take the infamous last spots, landing firmly in the super ultra-processed category. These aren’t foods you’d want to rely on for any nutritional value—they’re loaded with chemicals that make them more of a novelty than a meal.

This dismal showing by Cheetos is just the latest in PepsiCo’s ongoing trend of producing highly processed, nutritionally questionable products. Let’s not forget that Quaker, another PepsiCo brand, recently claimed the dubious honor of being the most processed chocolate chip bar in our previous rankings. It seems PepsiCo is determined to stay consistent—in all the wrong ways. Whether it’s a sugary snack or a cheesy comfort food, PepsiCo continues to churn out products that are packed with additives, preservatives, and other undesirable ingredients, making them a brand you might want to avoid if you’re looking for healthier options.

Hill Country Fare’s Original Mac & Cheese is another reminder that even simple-sounding products can be packed with things you’d rather avoid. Hill Country Fare is a brand sold at H-E-B, a supermarket chain with over 400 locations across Texas and Mexico. Despite its name, which evokes the wholesome imagery of the Texas Hill Country, this product is far from the simple, hearty fare you might expect. Instead, it’s loaded with additives that take it straight into the super ultra-processed zone. Don’t let the Texas-inspired branding fool you—this is one to leave on the shelf.

Tied for the fourth-worst spot, Cabot Creamery’s Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese Shells and Daiya’s Dairy Free Gluten-Free 4 Cheeze Style with Herbs Vegan Mac & Cheese land squarely in the super ultra-processed category. Cabot Creamery, a cooperative owned by farm families for over a century, prides itself on producing award-winning dairy products from healthy, happy cows. But when it comes to their mac & cheese, it seems they’ve lost sight of their roots. Despite the rich, buttery milk that Cabot is known for, this product is loaded with additives that detract from its wholesome image.

On the other hand, Daiya, a company that reimagines cheese with plant-based alternatives, fails to live up to the promise of a healthier option. Acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceutical for $405 million in 2017, Daiya promotes itself as a pioneer in dairy-free, creamy, and satisfying cheese alternatives. But with the level of processing involved, you have to wonder if a pharmaceutical company producing your food is really the direction we should be heading. Daiya’s mac & cheese might promise a life without cheese, but it certainly doesn’t promise a life without a hefty dose of chemicals.

Walmart’s Great Value Original Macaroni & Cheese and Premium Original Shells & Cheese are ultra-processed options that, while easy on the wallet, come at a cost to your health. These low-priced products are filled with artificial ingredients and preservatives, proving that in the world of food, cheaper isn’t always better, especially when it comes to what you’re putting on your plate.

Full Rankings of Boxed Mac & Cheese from Least to Most Processed

Lightly Processed

• Tie for FIRST Place

  • Goodles Twist My Parm Asiago & Parmesan Protein Mac & Cheese

  • Goodles Shella Good Aged White Cheddar Protein Mac & Cheese

  • Banza Shells Mac & Cheese White Cheddar Protein Mac

• Tie for FOURTH Place

  • Amy’s Kitchen Gluten-Free Rice Mac & Cheese

  • Meijer Elbow’s & Cheddar Organic Pasta with Cheese Sauce

Moderately Processed

• Tie for SIXTH PLACE

  • Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

  • Muscle Mac Mac N Cheese High Protein

• Tie for EIGHTH PLACE

  • Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

  • Goodles Mac & Cheese Smokey Dokey

  • Meijer Shells & White Cheddar Organic Pasta 

  • Target Good & Gather Organic Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

• Target Good & Gather Elbows & Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

• Tie for THIRTEENTH Place

  • Kraft Original Mac and Cheese Dinner

  • Freak Flag Organics Organic Aged Cheddar Mac & Freak

Ultra Processed

• Tie for FIFTEENTH Place

  • Kraft White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

  • Walmart Great Value Original Macaroni & Cheese

  • Freak Flag Organics Four Cheese Mac & Freak

  • Daiya Dairy Free Cheddar Style Vegan Mac and Cheese

• Kraft Thick ‘n Creamy Mac N Cheese

• Walmart Great Value Premium Original Shells & Cheese

Super Ultra Processed

• Tie for TWENTY FIRST Place

  • Cabot Creamery, Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese Shells, Super Ultra Processed

  • Daiya Dairy Free Gluten Free 4 Cheeze Style with Herbs Vegan Mac & Cheese, SUPF

• Hill Country Fare, Original Mac & Cheese

• Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese, Flaming Hot Flavor

• Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese, Cheesy Jalapeno Flavor

As we continue to peel back the layers of the food industry, it's clear that not all mac & cheese is created equal. From the most processed to the least, our rankings reveal the hidden ingredients that could be impacting your health. WISEcode decodes what's in our food to build the world’s most comprehensive nutrition database, creating simple, user-friendly tools that help everyone personalize their nutrition to their goals. Our app uncovers 3,748 hidden processed ingredients in your food and provides simple insights to help you make healthier choices tailored to your needs. Stay informed, stay healthy, and join the conversation by following us on social media for more insights into the foods you love.