I'm Looking At The Mac In The Mirror

Living in the SF Bay Area, I'm privy to all kinds of amazing things when it comes to mac n' cheese. From restaurants that serve nothing but to other places that have carved spots for it on their menus.  Out in the East Bay, Alameda County has it's yearly county fair (this year was it's 100th anniversary!). Since this is practically in my backyard and after hearing from a little birdy that they had some special fair food that was right up my alley, I was compelled to swing by on Sunday in hopes of getting some.  Alas, my destination at the fair was was "out of cheese".  I'll see if they've got cheese once more before the fair closes up shop in a week.  Hopefully i'll be lucky enough to try this out.

I decided that I was still going to have a mac n' cheese day, which after planning on a meal that was going to be horribly unhealthy, I changed gears and had the 'healthiest' kind I had in the freezer based purely on front of the box marketing.

The Review

Brand:
Lean Cuisine Macaroni & Cheese

Price:
$2.29 at Target

Packaging Description:
(On Front)
Tender macaroni in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce

(On Back)
Simple Favorites: Now's the time to rediscover the lip-smacking-good classics you adore, like saucy Spaghetti with meat Sauce and creamy Macaroni & Cheese. Stock up on delectable everyday favorites and make each day a little more delicious.

Good Food, Good Life
Good Question: I want my favorites. Where can I find classic dishes that are sensible and delicious?
Good To Remember: Lean Cuisine is supported by the Nestle Research Center, on of the worlds leading centers for nutrition, health and wellness.
Good To Know: Lean Cuisine cooks up your favorite food with good, wholesome ingredients. Make each day more delicious with these simply wonderful dishes.

Preparation:
*Remove the tray from the box

*Place the tray (plastic film intact) into the microwave.
*Cook for 2:30

Another one of those almost can't tell the difference between out of the box and the first run through the microwave.

*Remove from microwave, peel back film most of the way and stir the meal.

Still a mostly frozen center.  Just in need of some stirring.

Stirred and ready for the second half of cooking.

*Re-cover and cook for an additional 2:30
*Let it rest in the microwave for one to two minutes

Awake and rested.

*Remove from microwave, remove film and stir.

One final stir and ready for nomming!

*Commence with the nomming!

Taste:
Just like the Smart Ones healthier mac n' cheese, this mac came out of the microwave smelling the same (not much of a cheese smell) and tasting the same (a mild cheese taste) with almost the exact same plasticy noodles.  The one thing this mac didn't copy was the gritty texture that the Eating Right one did have.  The cheese sauce was smooth, but lacking in any real flavor.  Letting it sit for another 5-10 minutes it got a smidgen better, but by then I was experiencing a meal that was at best luke warm. 

Final Score:
Another mac that was harmed by a plastic like firm noodle and sauce so mild that it really didn't have much of a taste (though it did have one, unlike a few others tried to date).  This is also the first one that I've had that a different brand, but owned by the same parent company (and made it quite obvious).  Stouffer's also is owned by Nestle and they use the same branding on the back of the package, with their Good Food, Good Life 'pitch' that is used on the back of the Lean Cuisine.  Other than being much healthier than the Stouffer's, the meals were fairly similar to each other.  Something I guess I shouldn't be surprised about, but am still disappointed to report.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size 1 Package (281g)
Servings Per Container 1

Calories  280  Calories From Fat 50
Total Fat 6g (9% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 3g (16% DV)
Trans Fat 0g (0% DV)
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 
Cholesterol 15mg (5% DV)
Sodium 570mg (24% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 43g (14% DV)
Dietary Fiber 1g (5% DV)
Sugar 5g
Protein 14