Annie's Homegrown Organic Whole Wheat Shells & Cheddar, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)

by Annie's Homegrown

Product Features

• A delicious and healthy twist to the original shells and white cheddar macaroni and cheese--enjoy this yummy product and get lots of extra fiber
• Pack of twelve 6-ounce boxes
• Vegetarian product, zero grams trans fat, yeast free
• Made with organic whole wheat pasta, it is an excellent source of fiber and 100% whole grain
• Good source of protein, calcium, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3
• Annie?s Homegrown strives for the motto: ?Eat Responsibly. Act Responsibly.?
• The original best selling Annie?s product with the added goodness of all organic ingredients--really delicious

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Annie’s Homegrown organic whole wheat shells and cheddar mac and cheese is a delicious and healthy twist to the original shells and white cheddar macaroni and cheese--enjoy this yummy product and get lots of extra fiber. It is made with certified organic whole wheat pasta and certified organic white cheddar cheese. This is a vegetarian product that has zero grams trans fat and is yeast free. It is an excellent source of fiber and 100% whole grain--forty-eight grams preserving. It is a good source of protein, calcium, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3. This is sold in a pack of twelve 6-ounce boxes.

About Annie's Homegrown
Annie’s Homegrown was co-founded in 1989 by Annie Withey, an organic farmer, wife, and mother of two.  Annie started with the intention of making all-natural macaroni and cheese. However, the company gained a lot of popularity and Annie’s currently does a lot more than that.

Annie’s Homegrown brings you a wide range of comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese, snacks, and cereal--all made with straight-from-nature, simple, and organic ingredients with no icky additives or pesky preservatives. All their products taste great--delight yourself with their delicious products now!

The company is driven by a team of folks who are passionate about three things--food, people, and the planet.  People at Annie’s Homegrown always strive for the motto: “Eat Responsibly. Act Responsibly”.

Product Description

Organic whole wheat shells & white cheddar was the third product we introduced here at Annie's. Annie is a big fan of whole wheat pasta and thought it would taste great with our original white cheddar cheese. Organic whole wheat shells & white cheddar is made with certified organic whole wheat pasta and certified organic white cheddar cheese. Try this twist on our original product. You'll get lots of extra fiber from this one.

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Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000CQ25QE
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,740 in Grocery & Gourmet Food (See Top 100 in Grocery & Gourmet Food)
  • #11 in Grocery & Gourmet Food > Prepared Food > Pasta & Noodle Dishes > Macaroni & Cheese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quality Product, Not Suited For My Taste Buds, December 8, 2006

By 

Sarah Prostar "Prostar" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Annie's Homegrown Organic Whole Wheat Shells & Cheddar, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) (Grocery)

I've been eating Annie's Mac n' Cheese (not the whole wheat type) since 1994. Amazon offers a excellent price (around $1.50 per box for certified organic, whoa!) and if I'm going to commit upfront to 12 boxes of mac and cheese, I figured I try to be a little healthier and get the whole wheat type.

It is a quality product but it isn't suited to my taste buds. I am surprised because I prefer brown rice and wild rice to white rice and generally enjoy whole wheat products. But to this eater, the whole wheat shells were too heavy and chewy. The watery white cheddar sauce enhanced the pasta's rougher texture and blandness. (The white cheddar sauce is like an alfredo, and less creamy than Annie's regular cheddar.) My friends love this stuff, but I think it's an acquired tasted. If I had known what I know now, I'd have stuck with the enriched white (yet stripped of it's nutrients) shells or at least gone with the regular cheddar sauce.

*Update*
While still not a full-on fan, I enjoying this product more now that:

1. Tastes much better when cooked 10-11 minutes at sea-level (the box recommends 8-10), the texture is less rough and gummy and is more noodle-y.

2. Adding fresh herbs with the cheese sauce. It gives a depth to the flavor. My favorite herb to add (so far) is cilantro (add about 1/3 cup chopped after mixing in the cheese sauce). Other enjoyable variations were adding 2/3 cup of Italian parsley or 1/8 cup fresh dill leaves.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A healthier choice -- and our kids love it, August 17, 2006

By 

Andrew Knight (Waterville Valley, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Annie's Homegrown Organic Whole Wheat Shells & Cheddar, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) (Grocery)

We've been struggling to move our kids from processed foods to healthier alternatives over the last couple of years, and Annie's whole-wheat macaroni and cheese has been a big element of our success in this campaign... They love the taste and we feel good about the nutritional value, the quality of the food, and the relative "social conscience" that the company espouses.

By the way: it really is tasty stuff. I try not to eat a lot of carbs these days, but I always steal a few bites when I make them lunch. The creamy-cheese sauce is more reminiscent of a good, light alfredo than of the nasty, gluey, neon-orange stuff you get from the big brands, and whole wheat macaroni is mildly flavored (and therefore and easier transition for kids and processed-wheat addicts).

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nasty, April 6, 2007

By 

Brandy (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Annie's Homegrown Organic Whole Wheat Shells & Cheddar, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) (Grocery)

I've recently decided to switch to eating whole grains and we picked up a box of this at a health food store as an alternative to the Kraft mac and cheese that my son likes. I prepared it as per the instructions and the sauce was runny and quite flavorless. After one bite my son wouldn't eat any more and after I had a bite too, I couldn't blame him because it was just nasty. I don't have any problems eating whole wheat pasta and neither does my son, but we couldn't eat this. I am a firm believer that food can be both healthy and delicious at the same time. This may be healthy but it is not tasty which means to me that it is not worth eating. Try the Hodgson Mills whole wheat macaroni and cheese instead. It is so much better.