Do you ever find yourself going to the grocery store for a few things and end up buying more than you originally planned? I went into Target to get some fresh fruit for my yogurt bowls and noticed that they had a new item on display – Goodles.
Companies are developing new products that look and sound like our childhood favorites, except they’re more nutrient dense and packed with protein. Kids can still enjoy products like mac and cheese, while also getting in some important vitamins and minerals.
Goodles makes all different flavors of mac and cheese, along with just plain pasta. They even have vegan options too. Banza, Annie’s, Trader Joes, and Thrive Market all have products similar to this.
Why Did We Try Goodles?
Goodles is becoming more and more popular, so we wanted to give our Bite-Sized Review of the product! Plus, we are always interested in testing out foods that are quick and easy to make, while also nutrient dense.
Flavor: 3 / 5
Overall, Goodles looks better than it tastes. From looking at this picture above, it looks like this mac and cheese would be super creamy, cheesy, and flavorful. It even smells good too! However, from the first bite, it was a bit disappointing. It has a very subtle cheesy flavor, and with all of that sodium it didn’t even taste that salty. The cheese sauce was a bit thin, maybe adjusting the amount of milk could help with that.
Nutrient Density: 3/5
One serving of this mac and cheese contains 270 kcals, 15g protein, 6g fiber, 4g fat, 48g carbs, and vitamins such as vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin D, folate, and iron just to name a few. This mac and cheese also contain ingredients like chickpea protein, and nutrients from broccoli, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and mushrooms, which is unlike a lot of other mac and cheese brands.
On the label, it states that nutrients were “extracted” from these vegetables. Consuming nutrients from vegetables in a powder form is much different than eating the vegetable. In a powder, you lose out on all of the fiber which keeps you full and satiated. While powdered vegetables should not take the place of your fresh veggies, having these extra nutrients makes this product a bit more nutrient dense than the typical mac and cheese.
However, one serving does contain 600 mg of sodium, which is 26% of the recommended daily intake. That is a lot of sodium just for 1 cup of mac and cheese. Even though this mac and cheese contains ingredients that typical mac and cheese box mixes like broccoli and sweet potatoes, it is important to note that these items are only found in the powder.
Here is Goodles compared to its competitors:
Value: 5/5
One box of Goodles mac and cheese is $2.99. One serving is around $1.20, which is a great deal!
Goodles Total Score: 3/5
Where to find it:
Target, Amazon, Gopuff, and the Goodles Website.
How we enjoyed it:
Just like the directions said! Being that this was the first time we were trying Goodles, we wanted to try it on its own. Even though it is great that kids get the hidden nutrients in the mac and cheese, it would also be great if you bulk it up with some veggies like broccoli, mushrooms, and even some brussels sprouts and spinach. This would increase the fiber content of the meal making you feel full and energized!
Looking for other healthy, yummy foods to try? Check out our other Bite Sized Reviews!