annies homegrown

TURN ONE MEAL INTO TWO WITH ANNIES MAC N CHEESE

January 13, 2016




As a busy college student, Annie's Mac n Cheese is a godsend. There's something about toiling over research papers and planning programming for a student-run radio station and a public relations student group that makes me crave pasta. However, I want to stay as healthy as possible, of course. That's where Annie's comes in. It's organic, nutritious and delicious. 

However, part of healthy eating is variety. You can eat fruit your whole life, however you need some form of protein. You can eat PB&J your whole life, but you need vitamins and minerals. That's why I leverage the easy-to-make Annies and mix it with beans, tomatoes, fresh veggies, and protein to stretch one box into at least two meals.


Today I'll show you how I spice up the organic shells & real aged cheddar.


Chicken, spinach, and pasta are some of my favorite things to eat. The other day, I actually had spanakopita for breakfast, a broth bowl with spinach in it for lunch, and spinach and beans topped with scallops for dinner. I may actually turn into spinach.

I combined this pasta with spinach and ground chicken. In a pan, I sauteed the ground chicken with some Mrs. Dash until it browned. I simultaneously had water boiling. When the water came to a boil, I added the pasta. Once the chicken was browned, I added a handful of spinach in the pan and let it wilt. By that time, the pasta was cooked so I combined the cheese mix, milk, and butter as according to the package. After it sit and absorbed, I added the chicken and spinach. Voila!

This will make enough for two meals: one for now, one for later.


Here, I added tomatoes and pinto beans into the Organic Shells & White Cheddar mix.






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annies homegrown

Health In A Pinch: "Busy Bee" Survival Guide

January 13, 2015

I don't know about you, but I'm at a constant battle between wanting healthy, fresh, food, but being pressed for time to prepare them. Being home for break, there's so many people to see, places to go, things to do, etc. Not to mention, I'm working a lot to pay for my Greece spring break. Sometimes, I just want to heat up something remotely "carb-y" and have an apple or carrots on the side when it's time for my break.

In times like these, it can be hard to succumb to just picking up an EasyMac or a Celeste Pizza. Though those are delicious, there's also healthier, fast alternatives that are equally as tasty. Here are my top picks:


1. Minute Brown Rice

The brand Minute makes little brown rice cups that are ready in only one minute! Pair this with a low-fat cheese stick and some sliced red peppers to balance it out with vegetables and protein. Brown rice cups over pudding cups, right? Here are the nutrition facts:

As you can see, they are low on fat, sugar, and sodium, however, they have 5g of protein, which is pretty decent. That's definitely more than white rice. 230 calories is almost halfway to 500, fill up the other 270 with your peppers and cheese stick, and maybe some green tea. 500 is a decent-sized meal on the go. Note how small the ingredient list it! Another great thing about these cups is that they're already pretty flavorful, so no need to add condiments or butter.

2. Annie's Homegrown Mac 'n' Cheese

You guys probably saw this coming. Annie's brand is more of an all-natural, non-GMO, grass-fed, earthy-crunchy company. The more natural food the body intakes, the healthier! My favorite product of theirs is their white cheddar mac 'n' cheese cup. Here are the nutrition facts:

I would pair this snack with a nice, crisp apple. An apple and mac 'n' cheese, it brings you back to childhood, huh?

3. GoPicnic Meals

This last one needs no ad-ons, and requires no heat! GoPicnic "ready-to-eat" meals are grown-up, nutritious Lunchables, essentially. They have numerous delicious varieties such as black bean dip and plantain, thee bean dip and tortilla chops, peanut butter and crackers, red pepper hummus and chips, and more. My mouth is actually watering, and my mind is beating myself up internally for not buying these... I may have to make a trip to the store tomorrow. Anyway, if you want to combine a few of these for a full meal and add some green tea on the side to compliment all the super foods in these, you'll be golden.




If you're ever worried about fitting in your veggies, grab a Bolthouse farms drink. Just like all the microwaveable meals, these juices are made to make our lives easier. These drinks were made for those who don't have time to juice their own produce, like those meals are made for those who don't have time to cook their own meals.

That's how I'm "healthy in a pinch" as you would say! It's not as rewarding as savoring your food you slaved over a hot skillet or juicer for, but it'll do the trick. These are all reasonably priced, GMO-free, natural, healthy, and delicious.

I was not paid or sponsored by any of these companies, all opinions are my own.


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