Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese has always been one of my favorite foods, and I often enjoy it as a side dish during family dinners. Over the years, Aldi Reviewer has reviewed countless variations of the classic dish from both Aldi and Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi.

However, the calories, fat, and sodium in traditional mac and cheese can be of concern. It’s unfortunate for a devout pasta lover like myself.

I’ve seen various frozen microwave mac and cheese dishes from Trader Joe’s before, and we’ve covered most of them except the “healthier” one.

The Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese is $2.49 for 7 ounces, which we think is a pretty good deal for prepared mac & cheese. It’s advertised on the front that it has 65% less fat and 25% fewer calories than regular Trader Joe’s mac & cheese.

This is a single-serving container of mac & cheese. It has 270 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 540 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 4 grams of total sugars, no added sugars, and 15 grams of protein.

The back of the box compares the Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese to regular Trader Joe’s Diner Mac & Cheese, which has 360 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving.

If allergens are of concern, this reduced guilt mac contains milk and wheat.

There are two different ways to heat it listed on the box: either by microwave or conventional oven.

For the oven, preheat it to 375 degrees, take off the plastic film, and place the mac & cheese tray on a baking sheet to cook for 15-20 minutes before letting it cool for 1 minute.

I used the microwave option, since it’s faster. For this, you puncture the film with a fork, and microwave the tray on high for 3-4 minutes, then let it cool for 1 minute. Keep in mind cooking times may vary depending on your microwave or oven.

The first thing I noticed was that for as big as the box looked, it’s … not that much pasta. We jokingly said the small portion was what made it “healthier.” So don’t expect to be satisfied with just this for your lunch. I threw in some sides like fruit and trail mix to fill me up.

The pasta itself isn’t bad, but it definitely needed more cheese. After cooking it, I made sure to mix it well, but I still got some flavorless noodles in there. Where there was cheese, however, I really liked it, and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this and normal mac & cheese.

The Verdict:

The Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese felt like something we had to try, but we probably won’t buy it again. If you’re trying to watch your calorie or fat intake, this isn’t a bad option, but otherwise, I’d rather buy normal mac & cheese, or look for other low calorie pasta options.