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I Tested 6 Brands Of Protein Mac 'N' Cheese, And The Winner Tasted Like The Classic Mac From My Childhood

Not all protein macs are created equal. Here's proof.

My childhood food memories are 50% mac 'n' cheese, 25% chicken nuggets, and 25% mystery fruit snacks. To this day, a big bowl of mac 'n' cheese still hits me in the nostalgia feels. But let's be honest, it's not the most nutritious weeknight option. With the carb-heavy pasta, the low-protein "cheese powder," and the salty sauce, it may be good for my emotional health, but not necessarily my body.

Over the past few years, I've seen a shift in the macaroni aisle, away from artificial colors and flavorings toward "all natural" and "protein-packed" varieties... but are they really a substitute for the classic brand? I decided to find out by sitting down and trying every protein mac I could get my hands on.

I often make boxed mac 'n' cheese, adding Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for added protein, so this is not a new concept to me.

The Protein Mac 'N' Cheese Taste Test: Judging Criteria

I made every box as per the instructions, no additions or changes, using plain unsweetened almond milk because lactose doesn't really sit well with me. I prepared them all in advance and heated them up in the microwave before serving. I labeled each box so we could taste blindly, and we tried each bowl slightly warmed.

Overhead view of six bowls of various macaroni and cheese dishes numbered 1 to 3, with small differences in pasta shapes and cheese shades
Micah Siva

To avoid soggy noodles, I cooked them all to al dente. If any became dry, I added a splash of milk to loosen the sauce before microwaving. We made scoring cards and based our judgment on taste, texture, cheesiness, sauce quantity, and the presence of a protein aftertaste. I also stuck to orange cheddar varieties; no white cheese allowed!

The boxes have similar preparation, but when butter was optional, I didn't add it. There was a BIG range of amounts, from one tablespoon to four hearty tablespoons of butter. But would butter make everything better? We'll find out.

The Brands

Here were the contenders:

Six boxes of different boxed macaroni and cheese brands are arranged in two rows on a countertop
Micah Siva

From top left to bottom right:

–Goodles Cheddy Mac

–Banza Cheddar Elbows

–Simple Truth Protein Macaroni & Cheese

–Kraft PowerMac

–Annie's Super! Mac

–GrownAs* Mac

And their nutrition facts:

Six cereal mac 'n' cheese boxes are arranged on a surface, showing their nutrition facts panels
Micah Siva

–Goodles (per 74-gram serving)
Protein: 14 grams
Fiber: 7 grams

–Banza (per 71-gram serving)
Protein: 16 grams
Fiber: 8 grams

–Simple Truth (per 74-gram serving)
Protein: 14 grams
Fiber: 7 grams

–Kraft (per 80-gram serving)
Protein: 17 grams
Fiber: 6 grams

–Annie's (per 74-gram serving)
Protein: 15 grams
Fiber: 6 grams

–Grown As* (per 71-gram serving)
Protein: 10 grams
Fiber: 3 grams

Note: These are the protein and fiber nutrition facts for the dry mix, not for the prepared mac 'n' cheese.

We sat down, took our Lactaid pills, and started tasting, evaluating each for look, taste, texture, and overall experience. The results? Shocking.

Variety of pasta shapes in bowls, including macaroni, shells, and penne
Micah Siva

A rainbow of mac. 

The Winners

The variation between each box was shocking — cue the drumroll. There were three very clear winners in our test; our top choice was unanimous, and the second and third choices were easy to nail down. The others? It was clear which was the least favorite, as those leftovers went into the trash, not into containers.

A handwritten list ranking food items based on taste and appearance, with notes on texture and other observations
Micah Siva

Thankfully, I could use my Soupercubes to freeze the remaining mac for future me.

🥉 Third Place: Simple Truth Protein Mac & Cheese

A bowl of cooked macaroni and cheese next to a box labeling it as protein-enriched with cheddar, 14g protein per serving
Micah Siva

At first, this one stood out because of the color — so orange it almost blinded me. But once I dug into the silky-smooth sauce that so perfectly coated all those noodles, I was transported back to my childhood dinner table.

Unlike the top two, this box explicitly tells you to add butter, and it was a good call (maybe they should all use butter). The sauce was creamy but not overpowering, with enough bite that it tasted like cheese. 

The noodles are made with a blend of semolina flour, wheat flour, and pea and wheat isolate, the same nutrient isolates as Goodles.

🥈 Second Place: Goodles Cheddy Mac

Bowl of cooked macaroni and cheese beside a box labeled "Goodles Cheddy Mac."
Micah Siva

Like Simple Truth, Goodles comes with a more traditional tube-shaped noodle that is made with a mix of wheat flour, chickpea flour, and a handful of vegetables like mushrooms and broccoli. Even with those hidden ingredients, it tasted just like the mac 'n' cheese of my childhood. 

It was a much more vibrant orange than some of the others, with most of the color coming from natural sources like turmeric and annatto.

They listed butter as optional, but it would have benefitted it from it. Even without it, though, the sauce was smooth and thick (once you really gave it a stir).

I also love the unique flavors they have available beyond just cheddar.

This and Simple Truth were pretty much neck-and-neck for second and third place.

🥇 First Place: Annie's Super! Mac

A bowl of shell-shaped macaroni and cheese next to a box labeled "Annie's Super Mac," highlighting protein and fiber content
Micah Siva

First off, shells are the elite noodle choice, especially when compared to the little tubes that we often see. Not only do shells become tiny little bowls to hold that precious cheese sauce, but the ridges on the outside help to hold onto the sauce, instead of it slipping and sliding off a smooth noodle (wow, I've never put this into words, but that felt... poetic?). 

I loved that it didn't look artificially colored; some of the vibrant orange varieties threw us off, but Annie's looked homemade.

The texture of the pasta was spot-on, indistinguishable from the classic version. Similar to Goodles, the instructions said butter was optional, but I do think it would have benefited from it as well. There was a lightly bitter flavor in the sauce, but I think the butter would help to tone that down. Annie's also comes in a White Cheddar variety. 

All in all, I would absolutely buy this again. Go Annie's!

At the end of the day, the mac 'n' cheese market is doing something right. I can feed it to both my son and me without worry, and there's always a spot on my shelf for a box or two.

Three bowls of different pasta salads with a green leaf salad, labeled numbers, and an empty tally sheet on a table
Micah Siva

When I make it at home, I like to add frozen cauliflower and cottage cheese to really bulk it up. And because I'm a little wild, I even add a light dusting of fresh parmesan on top. So get that water boiling, it's mac night!

Do you have a favorite protein mac? Let me know in the comments!

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