News Taffy

Have you noticed lately how Jonesboro is growing by leaps and bounds? With all the new grocery stores in town, (the Truck Patch is open next to Outback!) we have many new foods to try, from a wide selection of organic to gluten free to probiotics and everything in between. I hope you are taking advantage of these opportunities to try new foods and expand your diet while making healthier choices. When I have time, I prowl through the grocery stores looking for new things to try.

When it comes to meal planning and grocery shopping, I use a good, better, best system weighed against the cost when deciding what to buy and cook, or order at a restaurant. It helps me make better choices most of the time. A fried fish sandwich might be a decent choice at a restaurant but a better choice would be the grilled fish sandwich, no mayo. The best choice would be to cook the fish at home so you know exactly what ingredients are used in its preparation and to serve vegetables on the side.

Recently, I found a box of Ancient Harvest Lentil and Quinoa Mac and Cheese in the health food section at Kroger. I studied the box and decided I had to give it a try. I like to try gluten free foods and though I have found the breads to be both expensive and abominable, the pastas I have tried aren't bad. While I grew up eating good old Kraft Mac n Cheese, I know now that it is really terrible junk food with very little actual nutrition. I was eager to see if pasta made from lentil and quinoa flours with organic cheddar cheese powder could compete taste wise with Kraft.

I prepared the pasta this weekend for lunch and our verdict is that the pasta itself is very good. The taste and texture is very similar to the white flour pasta we all grew up eating and your family probably would not notice any difference. I made the sauce following the directions on the box and I must say, it was lacking. The taste was not bad but there wasn’t enough sauce really. It would have been better had I added a tablespoon of butter and a bit more grated cheddar cheese to stretch it further. However, when I look at the nutrition facts on the box, Kraft’s standby is blown out of the water. Kraft has more fat, sugar and a lot more sodium than Ancient Harvest, while the Ancient Harvest version has 16 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber compared to Kraft's’ measly 9 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber. So if you have a craving and want to make a better choice, the case is clear. Yes, adding butter and more cheese will up the fat content but I’m going for the extra protein and fiber, plus less artificial food coloring. Ancient Harvest does cost $2.99 compared to $1 for Kraft but the benefits are worth it.

The whole point is to open your eyes to the possibilities, read nutrition labels and try something new. Happy shopping and eating!