This is a very special episode of Food Babe TV. I receive thousands of letters, emails and comments asking for help everyday. Watch as I visit a busy family in need of a major pantry makeover and show them how to remake their favorite go to dinner without harmful ingredients. This video is full of really important information. At the end, I share an update about my visit with a major fast food company.
Watch Below:
Highlights From The Show:
- If you’d like to learn more about what happened during my visit to the Kraft Headquarters, you can read the entire inside story here.
- Chick-fil-A has informed me they are making some changes to their ingredients as a result of your voice and my visit with them. I will keep you posted on the exact developments and what they are changing very soon. Sign up for email updates to stay posted!
- Please take a moment to join over 347,000 people and sign my petition to remove artificial food dyes from Kraft Mac & Cheese here.
- Did you know that Monoglyceride and Diglycerides are food additives labeled as emulsifiers, but basically can be sources of hidden trans fat? Food companies can get away with not labeling these ingredients as trans fat because they are categorized as emulsifiers not lipids by the FDA. Sneaky, huh?
- Here’s the special recipe for homemade Mac & Cheese (without petroleum-based artificial food dyes) I made for the family below. It’s so good, as you can tell from the children’s response in the video. (For my favorite healthy pasta recommendations and brands, check this post here for all the details.)
- 2 tbsp grassfed organic butter
- 12 ounces raw goat milk mild cheddar cheese
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 16 ounce package of 100% organic sprouted whole wheat or spelt pasta noodles
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- a dash of nutmeg (optional)
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot on stove
- Add pasta and cook until it is al dente or firm to package directions
- While pasta is cooking, steam cauliflower in large pot filled with 1 or 2 cups water (place cauliflower steamer basket)
- Shred cheese by hand with grater or in a food processor
- Grate cauliflower by hand using a grater or pulse in a food processor
- Mix grated cheese, cauliflower, butter, and seasonings in with drained pasta
- Stir well and enjoy!
If you know a family still making boxed Mac & Cheese, or in need of a little inspiration, please share this post with them.
Together we are changing the world.
Lots of Love,
Food Babe
P.S. Does your pantry need a make over? Or perhaps a friend or family member’s pantry? Share some details below in the comments and who knows, I may show up.
10/31 Breaking News:
Kraft is removing artificial food dyes from 3 products aimed towards children. I will be commenting in full later. But you, the #FoodBabeArmy, please take action now. Tell Kraft thank you for listening, but they have more work to do. We want artificial food dyes that are linked to hyperactivity, asthma, allergies and contaminated with carcinogens out of all Mac & Cheese products.
The human body was not meant to eat petroleum.
Please share this post and spread the word. I’m counting on you.
Contact Kraft here:
Kraft’s Customer Service: #1-877-535-5666
Kraft’s Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/kraftmacaroniandcheese
Twitter: @KraftFoods @kraftmacncheese
Latest News:
ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/kraft-agrees-yellow-dye-mac-cheese/story?id=20745315
Chicago Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2013/10/31/kraft-shifts-slightly-on-food-dyes.html
Metro News NYC: http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/national/2013/10/31/kraft-drops-artificial-food-dyes-following-food-babe-led-petition/
Creative Loafing: http://clclt.com/theclog/archives/2013/10/31/despite-what-kraft-says-food-babe-scores-victory-against-company
Gorgeous video! Well-done. Will love seeing you do more & more of these!!!
Also, I loved that you showed how easy it was to replace Kraft mac & cheese! I used to eat it all the time as a kid – as an only child I ‘cooked’ for myself a lot. I haven’t had it in eons, but I’d love to try this recipe – any recommendations for gluten-free pasta? I see oftentimes that they are made with corn … then I worry they’re gmo … ahhhh … ! Thanks again for doing your beautiful work – so inspiring.
Katie, you could try making your own pasta?? Regular pasta is pretty simple…I would like to believe that with a good gluten free recipe, it would be just as simple.
You could make a double or triple batch and freeze some of it, or dry it yourself.
I LOVE home made pasta, so of course, that was my first thought! lol
My family has gone gluten free because of my husband. Try Brown Rice pasta. Anything made with corn tastes gross.
What about quinoa pasta, my kids love it
I’ve never heard of this! Must be on the lookout 🙂
I LOVE that Schar brand of GF pasta. It’s made form a mix of different grains, and is DELICIOUS. And, from their site:
We are pleased to say that all of our products and ingredients are non-GMO.
We can also assure you that our manufacturing facility in the U.S. maintains the same high standards as our European facilities with all of our ingredients non-GMO.
It should be noted that we are also MSG and preservative free and use no trans-fats in our products.
I love your articles!
If you get a chance, I have a particularly difficult situation… we are ex-military with 3 kids, plus my parents moved in… so its a big family, and terribly tight. we mostly live off wic and the food bank…any tips to make some of the stuff healthier? half thd time I have no idea what stuff is when its not labled, and the rest of the time, I’m not sure if we have to eat it before it goes bad, or if there are too many products in it to keep it from going bad 🙁 to make it even more fun, my husband has severe asthma, my dad is diabetic, my oldest kid is adhd, and my youngest is almost ready to start foods… add in every other health issue, and I feel like we are eating ourselves right into the grave!! on the upside we DID GIVE UP KRAFT MAC N CHEESE AND MCDONALDS!! my 6yr old refuses to eat at McDonald’s! ! 🙂 victory dance!
Try having your husband give up milk/dairy. That helps with asthma. My niece has no symptoms since doing that, and I have heard there was a big research project on this over in England that gave the same results. It is worth a try!! Removing food dyes and processed sugars helped my son’t ADHD a ton. I also have him fish oil supplements daily. Every child is different, but that worked for me and we ended up flushing his prescription.
That is awesome that your fam doesnt do the mcdonalds and kraft anymore!! May I give the suggestion that when you check out these food pantries that you try and get as much beans and rice as possible. I used to visit a couple of food banks here in kcmo and there were a few that that gave fresh veggies and a few that gave stuff like cereal powdered milk maybe some meat and bread. well since i am vegan i would give up the meat and powdered milk but I made use of the beans and rice and cereal and potatoes. And I also used to receive wic which was awesome all the beans and tortillas and fruit and veggies helped so much. I felt like since I was a beggar I couldnt be choosy so I lived by a minimalist theory and fixed simple dishes like crockpot potatoes or breakfast burritos with potatoes and beans and fresh veggies in there or quesadillas vegan style. Sometimes I did smoothies. I did rice bowls and added veggies on top with a little soy sauce. You can also do smoothies with banana peanut butter and milk (nondairy or dairy). I hope this helps let me know. Good Luck!
I love watching your videos and learning from you and your website. You have inspired me more than you can know. I never would have thought to add cauliflower to mac n cheese but then again I am lucky enough to have a family that loves veggies so I don’t have to hide them. Last year I started making changes to the foods that I bring in my home. My husband and kids think I am nuts but I do the shopping so they are getting healthier foods whether they like it or not. lol In July I made the decision to get totally healthy (for a number of major reasons) and finally get rid of my excess weight (100+ lbs). So now we have cut out 90% of fast food for them (none at all for me). I started going to a weight loss doctor and they recommend 1200 calories a day and high protein, low fat, no processed carbs, etc. I am being successful so far but I hate that I am supposed to drink/eat protein drinks and bars to supplement my diet. They DO encourage eating whole foods and the natural sugar and carbs in fruits and veggies are okay. I feel like all the changes I made to feed my family are great for them but I am clueless about what to do for me. I certainly don’t expect you to show up at my home but some advice would be GREATLY appreciated.
Ditch the weight loss doctor – they follow the government’s recommendations. Go to http://www.mercola.com (that’s how I found Food Babe!) and do his nutrition plan (he has a section to find out what type you are – has helped me tremendously!).
If you eat right, you don’t have to count calories and will lose weight without trying.
His website is amazing and has great articles on all kinds of things, not just food. Read people’s comments also, there are great people posting on his site.
FYI – Most protein drinks/bars have ingredients that you don’t want, especially if your weight loss doctor sold them to you.
Agreed — find a doc who doesn’t push the high-protein hype! Eating a plant-based diet that has smell-moderate amounts of protein in all of your whole foods will get you enough protein! 2 fantastic documentaries that you can get on Netflix or maybe your library: “Forks over Knives,” and “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” — they are inspirational!
Hi Vani,
I’m just wiping my tears away! Seriously, you are doing such a great job!!!
I am a clinical nutritionist living in Switzerland and after years of doing research and working at Big Pharma, I am ready to go after the Big Food companies, School lunches and Food advertisements for kids. I heard about you first in Bschool and love getting your videos.
I want to support your work in any way possible – I’ve lived in the US several times and have close friends there. But also I will be doing this kind of work in Switzerland/Finland (where I come from) and European Commission where I have some friends in the Food Department.
Let me know, if there is any info or otherwise if you ever need anything, I’d be happy to be your “Swiss-weapon” to back you up!!
Cheers,
Mirkka
I live in Europe, in Italy to be precise, and it is NOT true that cows are grassfed here, they are fed imported GMO corn and soy. Finding a good source of meat is extremely difficult. We may not be allowed to grow GMO crops, but GMO can be and is imported and fed to animals. It’s most definitely not real food paradise over here.
Wow. Wow. Wow. We have definitely become a lot more conscious these past years and are eating really healthy these days. But it scares me to think of what I USED to do to my body, and for how long I did it! Yikes! Love your website!
Love love love this! And can’t wait to hear about chick-fil-A!! My best friend eats there all the time!!!! And I can’t get her to stop!!!! And she’s pregnant.
yes! yes! yes!!! You go, girl!!!
Hey Vani! As usual, I love watching your videos and admire you and what you do. You truly are a star for what you do. On one note, I have a question. Take the boxed macaroni and cheese for example. I noticed you only mentioned the fact that there are dyes in it. I know I’ve looked and cringed at that ingredients list in many moments of weakness and noticed that there are many more problems then just the dye. In addition, you didn’t mention that they are probably GMO. Were you just trying to keep it simple or haven’t done research on it all yet? That really intrigued me.
I was wondering the exact same thing, Jonathan. I’ve always felt one would be better off eating the cardboard box itself rather than its contents! 🙂
What store did you get raw goat cheese for $3.00? We have one store (besides farmer’s markets) that has raw milk cheese and it’s EXPENSIVE! Recipe looks excellent btw. LOVE that cauliflower added in.
Using a salad shooter is great for shredding cheese! It’s also not hard to make your own!
Thanks so much for the work that you are doing. You are helping so many people!
I really enjoy reading/watching/listening and learning from your fb and your e-mails. I am a single Dad with two high school daughters who are both very athletic. We eat rather healthy and a lot of organic but I would love for you to see my pantry and fridge and provide some input.
I think you do a great job and would love some advice as well for our entire soccer team about night before/pre-game and post-game meals. Everyone seems to think Panera and Subway are the only options when eating on the road as well as Buca de Peppo or Olive Garden for night before carb loading meals. I feel as though I am on an island when I go against these choices and often we have “team meals” so I have no input. This is a relatively elite soccer program of 15 year old girls. HELP ME!!!
We have a beautiful kitchen (good for filming) and we are only 20 min. from DC..so good for a vacation for food babe! Also, the nations flagship Whole Foods in only 10 min. away! You could do my pantry and I could have the whole team and parents here for your input as well. PLEASE!!! HELP US!!! This would be a great episode and certainly would go viral in the soccer community!!
You are still in denial about dairy, Humans have no business using the Lactation of other animals to make Milk , Cheese and butter. Please do some research , Any animal forced into pregnancy so that it may produce milk is wrong, I don’t care how green the grass is that they are fed, you are drinking and eating something that was designed to grow a baby cow/sheep/cat etc. Why don’t you use human breast milk in your recipes, at least that a natural human food. Your Ideallistic view old Mcdonalds farm is very far from reality, the reality looks more like a Mcdonalds restaurant ( thats where the spent dairy cows bodies are deposited as low grade hamburger)
Dear Vonnie,
Thanks for all the good things you are doing, making people aware of what they are eating. I have a comment about the safety in Europe. I live in the Netherlands and things may be not as bad as in the US, but I can tell it’s no picknick here either. If cows, chickens or whatever animal is fed GMO soy or corn, it does not have to be on the label of the milk, eggs and/or meat! If the product contains less than 0,9% GMO is doesn’t have be labeled either. And we have a lot of artificial flavouring, perservatives, flavour enhancers etc in a lot of our foods and even in our bread! There are voices that want megastables for our cattle so they will never have to go outside in the meadow again. It is more difficult to find good food than bad food. Monsanto is coming through the backdoor!
Keep up the good work and let’s not despair. More people are waking up!
My favorite line is when he says “Our cabinets have less wood pulp in them, than the food in the cabinets!” People need to wake up and realize that food production is all about “profits”. Most food companies are constantly looking for ways to sell you the cheapest crap imaginable (fillers, chemicals, additives, etc.) that you will still be willing to eat (and they disguise the taste of things like wood pulp cellulose with more chemicals and sugars, etc). Why do you think McDonalds has all those “Dippin’ sauces”? It’s to hide the taste of the rancid chicken (pink slime). Here’s a simple rule: Only buy organic! This isn’t a perfect rule, but it will take you a long way down the road to healthy eating.
I really did get emotional watching this video. You are so passionate about what you do and it comes through loud and clear. I have been making changes for years and I try to tell family and friends about making changes to organic and stay away from process foods and they all think I am crazy. It is nice to know so many people out there feel like I do. You are amazing. Keep it going please!!
Love all you do!! I have been trying to help others also. It is my passion!! I would love to join you in anyway possible!!!!!!Already have been spreading your word!! Years ago I tried getting the school system on board was very discouraged then wrote to Jamie Oliver and he has been doing great projects!! I recently have been horrified with hospitals on what they serve their patients !!!!!!It’s horrifying!!!!But I realize you are on the right track starting with the companies that make these products is more effective than trying to get the school system and hospitals to improve. The products must first!!!!!!! Please contact me for anything!!!!
I would love your take on “Wheat Belly” by William Davis MD. It appears wheat is also a culprit of a lot of digestive and other problems that humans are dealing with.
Hi Vani & Team! Can you please please please start on a recipe book showing all the ingredients and brands you use??? Or better yet, more recipe videos? We moved to Annie’s mac and cheese last year but I know see why this recipe would be a better way to go — how did I miss it before? We’re doing better about reading ingredient labels thanks to you. I’ve learned that organic process food is still junk but I feel a bit lost when it comes to real recipes.
I’m scared we’re losing the ability to cook even simple things with each generation (I recently just learned to roast butternut squash, brussle sprouts, & beets which is beyond easy). I don’t want my kids growing up only learning how to make mac and cheese & opening a can of soup like I did. Help!
WOW! Would love to know about those crackers you pulled out of the cabinet too! It is tough to make good choices all of the time, but great tips like yours really help!
Why did you not also tell them that they could replace the kraft mac & cheese with Annie’s for times when they could not make it from scratch? You have said Annie’s was ok to use….
BEST VIDEO KEEP DOING VIDEOS LIKE THESE!!!
I don’t eat Kraft Mac & Cheese now, but I certainly ate boat loads as a kid. I’m pretty sure if my mom knew this information though she would have been appalled.
Thank you for sharing! I look forward to trying your delicious healthy, homemade version 🙂
This video literally had me in tears! To think that I raised my daughter on many of these very foods makes me sick! WHY does the U.S. allow the food companies to use these dangerous chemicals and additives to their peoples food supply when so many of them are banned in other countries?? My family is on a much healthier road now thanks to people like you Vani, who are exposing the truth and sharing it with the rest of us. Keep sharing and caring and THANK YOU!
PLEASE COME TO MY HOUSE! I have three children (ages 11, 9, and 7) – all are involved in several different activities (karate, soccer, theatre), so we often either eat out or make the quickest thing possible. I do worry about what they’re eating, but I can’t figure out how to make it all healthier in the time I have. PLEASE HELP!
When you make a recipe, double it and freeze the leftovers for those times when you are busy? I like this site for the recipes and info on freezer cooking.
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-foods-for-the-freezer
She does use a lot of wheat, but not all of them are. Search her site, this isn’t her only freezing food post.
where do you find grassfed organic butter? I found that Publix sells Horizon, but they don’t claim it’s grassfed only. Also, where can I find RAW mild goat cheddar cheese? It sounds delicious, but TJ’s doesn’t have that variety. Also, Dr. Mercola recommends that the butter be raw as well as organic and grassfed. Any suggestions where to find that other than online?
Thanks,
Alex
Vani – I am IN LOVE with the work that you do. Thank you so much to you and your team for taking these issues on. I actually got a little overwhelmed watching this video and started to tear up. How can other humans who make these products make them for other humans? It’s too hard to think about, right?
I need your help too… SERIOUSLY… we have got to change the Baby Formula industry. I am a breastfeeding mom who has never had enough supply to feed my baby daughter, Grier, at night. So we’ve been supplementing with formula since the beginning. It wasn’t until I had the time to do a little research on Baby Formula that I actually came across your site and the post you did on it. What the F? It’s the first food we give our babies in this country and it’s loaded with bad stuff. At the hospital, they introduced us to Similac. At the doctor’s office, they did the same. We need your help to wake this country up about what goes into the baby formula. HELP!!!!! I can get us started… what are first steps to take to make the most impact?
In gratitude, Travis
Hi Vani!
We are so thankful for the work you do…we are learning everyday something new. I would love you to come raid my pantry! I am a stay at home farm mom and I do my best to cook from scratch. However we are still very busy on the farm, doing chores and running the boys to sports. We eat out very rarely (about once a month). My two largest challenges I run into is finding meals that are quick to make and inexpensive. We not only try to cook from scratch and of course down home cooking is way cheaper to make but it’s time consuming and sometimes fattening. Like say homemade alfredo with whole wheat or ezekiel noodles all that butter and cream is so fattening but I feel better about feeding my kids fat and butter from grass fed cows than chemicals that they would get in a jar of store bought alfredo. For example, Sometimes even though we think we are doing good we still have a ways to go! I would love some help making sure we are really doing it right.
Hi, I love the website, but can’t stop wondering why on earth you eat and recommend eating wheat? I can’t believe you are not aware of the massive problems gluten cause everyone. Read two books, Wheat Belly, by Dr. William Davis, and Grain Brain, by Dr. David Perlmutter. Wheat and sugar are the two worst things we can eat, besides all of the fake ingredients. But wheat/gluten cause hundreds of problems and diseases most people have no clue can be easily eliminated just by going gluten free.
Go Vani, Go Vani, Go Vani–you moved me to tears, because people just do not realize what bad ingredients they are ingesting everyday!!! Change the world one house at a time 🙂 You are AWESOME!!!
WoW, Vani, that was an awesome video!!! Very professionally done, and very moving. Thank you.
Thank you Vani! There are so many people who just don’t know what they are feeding the people they love the most in the world! Wish I know have of this stuff when my girl was young!!
Thank you for all that you do on here! You are amazing! Where I live we have no Whole Foods or Trader Joes close by and the independent health food stores are off the wall who the heck can afford this crazy expensive. Example $12 for bread….yea.. We actually have a Facebook page trying to get a whole foods store over here. I know you are busy but if your team could put together a list of BRANDS that you approve of on one page that would be so helpful. I have to drive an hour and a half to two hours just to go to a Whole Foods store and when I am there I feel so overwhelmed sometimes with all of the different items and reading and making sure it’s raw or whole or 100% If I had a list of what you approve of that would make my trips (and I am sure others) a lot less hectic and less discouraging to try and make this huge change for our health. Again thank you for all that you do! Keep the info coming!
I noticed when you were going through the family’s pantry that you pulled out a box of triscuits. I was curious about seeing that because I thought triscuits were a safe thing to buy since the ingredients only are whole wheat, soybean oil and salt. Is it the soybean oil that is the problem? Are there any crackers you recommend instead?
Was happy to see some good things that I do for my family in this video , but sad to see some bad I didn’t realize. Thank you for this video!
Great job! I love it when people are open to change and follow through vs. knowing better and not caring.
FB,
Please tell me that pot you were making the mac and cheese was NOT Teflon coated, because it sure looked like it on the video. I am absolutely sure you are aware of how dangerous they are, Right? Also, I don’t think this family gets it, after finding out the poisonous toxins in their food, you do NOT take baby steps toward change, but embrace it wholeheartedly.
Drew
FB, at the end of the video the husband proudly pulls out a box of Cascadian Farms Organic cereal, if I am not mistaken that company supports keeping the public in the dark regarding GMO labeling, correct? You may have to edit that or make another trip back to that house.
FB, near the end of the video the husband proudly displays a box of Cascadian Farms Organic cereal, if I am not mistaken that company is supporting and contributing financially to keeping the public in the dark regarding GMO labeling, correct? You may have to edit that or make another trip back to the house.
Food Babe, that was a great video really inspiring to watch you help that family get on the right track with what to eat.
I’m afraid that if we have GMO labeling it’s going to raise the cost for organic
food which I can’t afford to pay anymore than I do tell me what you think?
Vera,
This is awesome. I would love to see the family’s progress over time! Thank you so much for informing us and doing what you do for everyone’s health despite negativity and criticism.
Love the video… and I may have cried a little. Not quite sure why! I think I got choked up thinking about starting a revolution. This is a band wagon I’d love to be on! Our family has been eating as clean as possible for the past several months and it’s hard to not feel sad when you think of the amount of “food” people consume that’s not REAL FOOD. I was one of those people until just a few months ago and couldn’t imagine going back! Thanks for all you do!!!
So cool! Great video 🙂 So glad someone is helping people figure out this silly food landscape that we have in the US. I’ve cleaned everything out of my kitchen. It is nice to know real food. It takes a lot of work and the tough part is that there is very little help from food producers who are always trying to trick folks as much as they can legally. Thank you for all you do Vani! You truly are a FoodBabe 🙂 Best.
Hi Food Babe,
Wondering if you know if cellulose in food is always wood pulp or if it could be other plant cellulose in some cases. I was disappointed to noticed cellulose on the ingredient list for some gluten free English muffins from Food for Life- a company I generally trust.
And on another note, wondering if you know what “natural smoke flavor” is generally derived from? I tried looking around online and found beech tree bark, mesquite tree pods and chicken.
Thanks! Love the blog!
and then the people just move on to more packaged processed food in the end
it makes me sad how even when someone very informed comes and tells them about this stuff, they don’t get the extent of it… and then you have them sitting there saying “i don’t get why this is happening. why is the government allowing this?” no one ever suspects foul play. brainwashing is terrible.
I love your reports and have been enjoying all the info you release. I agree with no dyes in this staple ingredient, but why do North Americans have to have food dyes Cheddar and Marble (and other) cheeses? This is not a normal process and not natural! In Europe they don’t dye their cheddar cheese! I know for a fact that orange milk does not come out of a cow! So WHY on earth would the dairy board feel it is necessary to add this to our foods!? The Kraft commercial with the young boy praising the mother for choosing the Kraft slices with no artificial flavours or colours sends me through the roof! Wake up people Cheese is NOT orange!! Please do something about this!!!!!
Question! Most of the time my boyfriend and I make out own mac-n-cheese because it taste so much better and we know what is in it. However, occasionally when we get home late we grab a bow of Ann’s Gluten Free box stuff. How does this rate?
Vani…a.k.a the Food Babe…you are so awesome! I am so very thankful you are out there giving it to us REAL. Not only would I love to help any way I can…I would be honored if you would help me/us too! I am about to be a Surrogate for the 2nd time…and I’m so excited! My 1st journey started July of ’12 when I was asked by the sweetest Chinese couple ever to bless them with a child. Well I doubled that wish and gave them 2 babies! Girl and Boy 7 lb Twins! 🙂
I not only need to lose the remaining “twin flab”…I need to also prepare and eat even healthier for my next journey. Which I hope to begin in a few weeks…yikes!
I’d love to be able to toss out my microwave and lose the title of microwave queen. It’s not even fit to donate…it will go straight to the dumpster! But I need help please! I’m a single momma, 2 kiddos with ADHD diagnosed so far, walking tragedy for some reason, and I’m still financially and emotionally healing from my Mom passing away in a horrible way on 9/11. She and that entire side of the family had the worst lifestyle I’ve ever seen…and it’s killing them before they even reach 60. My mom had just turned 59 before she died.
I’m doing much better than they are…but I want to be GREAT! For myself, my children, friends, and anyone else that will listen to me!
Thank you so very much for all that you do…God Bless! The Grimes Gang 🙂
Forgot to rate the recipe! So excited to try it with the kiddies! 🙂