That Mac Isn't A One, It's A Zero

I had a long exciting weekend eating good food with friends.  However when one does that we sometimes have to do a gut check and partake in one of the 'healthier' mac n' cheese options available.  I've gone down the road with Amy's Kitchen, I figured why not try a meal done by one of the biggest diet companies in the country, Weight Watchers.  They're huge for a reason, people are paying them lots of money for what should be tasty and helthy-ish food.


The Review

Brand:
Weight Watchers Smart Ones Macaroni & Cheese

Price:
$2.89 at Safeway

Packaging Description:
(On Front)
casserole favorite bursting with cheese flavor

(On Back)
Smart Ones is committed to providing smart food choices to support you while managing your weight. That's why we follow a set of six smart eating principals when creating food for you. We promise to be there throughout the day with smart breakfasts, snacks, meals and desserts inspired by these principals:
1. Portion control so you can eat the foods you love
2. Breakfast is crucial, because it starts your day right & helps control hunger
3. Smart easting includes a variety of foods with protein
4. Whole grains, fruit and vegetables can keep you fuller, longer
5. Smart desserts and snacks can help you stay on track
6. Support and knowledge are critical to making smart food choices

Preparation:
*Open the box and take out the tray.

*Peel up a corner of the film for ventilation.
*Cook in microwave for three minutes.
*After the three minutes are up, take the tray out of the microwave, peel the film most of the way back and stir up the mac n' cheese.  My meal had a frozen chunk in the middle.  I broke it up as I mixed it up.

Ready for post three minute mixing

It doesn't look much different after mixing except that frozen middle chunk is now there *points* and over there *points*

*Re-cover the mac n' cheese and cook for one minute.
*Let the meal sit after it's finished cooking for a minute or two. 

That extra minute cooked it all the way through but it really doesn't look very different from before the final minute.

*Remove film all the way, be careful when handling the tray as it's quite hot.
*Commence with the nomming!

I mixed it up again for good measure.

Taste:
Out of the microwave you get the faint aroma of mac n' cheese.  That's about where the resemblance to regular macaroni n' cheese stops.  The noodles are like eating gummy plastic (what is it with 'healthy' meals and gummy plastic noodles?) and the cheese sauce only has the hint of a mild cheese taste.  I got pulled away for a few minutes while eating this and when I came back, for whatever reason the meal had gained a peppery undertone.  It still was pretty flavorless and gummy just for the rest of the meal except with the inclusion of that hint of pepper. 

Final Score:
This was horrible.  The lack of any cheese flavor and gummy plastic tasting pasta killed this meal.  It left me very hungry an hour later to boot.  It's great that there are not a lot of calories or fat in this meal.  But at the same time there is no taste either.  If Weight Watchers serves up lots of meals that are as bland and off putting as this then it's no wonder people don't lose all that weight when on a WW sponsored diet.  They keep cheating on their diet by eating stuff with flavor (and fat).  Save yourself the 270 calories for another mac n' cheese that has that missing flavor (and fat) and supplement it with some exercise and fruits & veggies.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size 1 Package (283g)  Servings Per Container 1

Calories 270   Calories From Fat 20
Total Fat 2g (3% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 1g (2% DV)
Trans Fat 0g (0% DV)
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol Less than 5mg (1% DV)
Sodium 790mg (33% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 52g (17% DV)
Dietary Fiber 2g (10% DV)
Sugar 5g
Protein 11g