Mac And Cheese Makeover

My son and husband LOVE mac and cheese. I usually make this version. I decided to give this an Eat Like Alton makeover.

Mac And Cheese Madeover

The first change I made was to add about 1/4 cup of wheat germ to the flour butter mixture before letting it bubble. I love wheat germ, I add it to smoothies, sweet breads and a family favorite is toast with peanut butter, honey and wheat germ. It’s a great snack.

The second change I made was to use whole wheat elbow pasta. I found a store-brand in our local grocery store, but there are also name-brands out on the market too. I cooked it a little longer than the 8 to 10 minutes suggested, thinking that often whole wheat pasta is tougher, but I may have overdone it. The pasta had no tooth and was just this side of mushy. Next time I’ll follow the time suggestions on the bag.

What are those little orange specs you wonder? Carrots. I put about 1/2 a cup of baby carrots in our mini food processor and tossed these in just after adding the milk. These cooked up, but still had some texture after the whole thing was baked. My husband said he liked them and although it caused my son to stop mid-song and ask “what are those orange things” after hearing they were carrots, he ate up as usual.

The two other changes I make from the recipe above: I have an older version of this recipe, before they modernized it with ground mustard and Worcestershire sauce, though I bet those would be good additions. I usually add a little bit of nutmeg, and on top I add bread crumbs or panko.

Close up of mac and cheese

The end result tasted very similar to my usual mac and cheese, both guys liked it, and this recipe makes plenty for left overs. Next time I’m going to add spinach at the same time I add the carrots. I love spinach, but the other folks in my house are not fans.

Lets recap: I added 2 whole grains (whole wheat pasta and wheat germ) and carrots, both on the ‘eat every day’ list. It’s still mac and cheese, made with butter and cheese, but it’s a step in the right direction. Remember, pasta is a once a week food, so bring the leftovers into your  work mates!

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The Beginning

After a multi-month run of eating holidays (Thanksgiving through New Years) something needed to change. We’ve tried other things in the past, with some success, but always fleeting. We needed something different, something sustainable, something with rules that were easy to follow, wouldn’t be too expensive to launch and sustain and could be done while living our regular lives. Those lives involve working full-time jobs, parenting an 8-year-old, being active members in groups and clubs and social engagements.

We are huge fans of Good Eats, Alton Brown’s food/science show on the Food Network. Last year we watched his Live and Let Diet episode, where he explained how he lost 50 pounds. It made sense. So when it came time to start a new healthy eating plan at the beginning of February, we looked to Alton.

You can watch the episode here:

Or read a transcript of the episode here.

The rules seem simple. Here is what you eat:

daily
fruits
whole grains
leafy greens
nuts
carrots
green tea

(at least) 3x/week
oily fish
yogurt
broccoli
sweet potato
avocado

(only) 1x/week
red meat
pasta
dessert
alcohol

0x/week (aka NEVER!)
fast food
soda
processed meals
canned soups
“diet” anything

This blog will follow along as we EAT LIKE ALTON. Recipes, experiences, challenges, suggestions and links to other resources. A disclaimer: I’m just a regular Joe Jill. I’m not a doctor, not a chef, not affiliated with Alton Brown, Good Eats, the Food Network, or anything else that puts me in a position to advise anyone else how to live a healthy life. This is a personal account of an experience, no more, no less.

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