Instant Organic

Three weeks into my Meatless Monday experiment, and I’m already feeling pressure. It was 11 p.m. last night, and I hadn’t packed my lunch yet. I thought, “Oh no. I have to make something good because I need to take a picture and write about my lunch. I can’t pack cereal!”

As I scanned my food shelf, I spotted a box of Whole Foods’ store brand 365 macaroni and cheese. My mom gave it to me for times just like these. So, I prepared the box of organic macaroni and cheese. On the side I have some steamed green beans and a peach.

Meatless Monday lunch #3

To be honest, the idea of instant or frozen organic food just seems strange. The host of The Allegheny Front, Jennifer Szweda Jordan, sometimes warms up an Amy’s organic frozen meal that she bought at Right by Nature, a grocery store in Pittsburgh that features organic food . Today, she had a garden vegetable lasagna. It boasts no preservatives and no bioengineered ingredients. I recognized all of the ingredients on the organic mac and cheese and the lasagna boxes. There were no unpronounceable chemicals or ingredients. Surprise, surprise!

Ingredient list for the Whole Foods' store brand organic macaroni and cheese

I opened the familiar white package of dehydrated cheese mix. But it said, “Organic yellow cheddar.” It made the cheese so distant from its original form. This didn’t seem different from regular Kraft instant macaroni and cheese.

Package of cheese

When I poured out the pack, the mix was a pale yellowish-pink color. It was a clear contrast from the bright orange powder that comes out of a Kraft box. I feared that I would have pink pasta. After I stirred in the butter and milk, the pasta took on its correct hue. I dusted some panko, which are Asian-style bread crumbs, on top for texture, and I had a lunch in 15 minutes.

Today, I scoured the Internet for news articles or studies about organic frozen and instant foods. To my surprise, I found none. Jennifer laughed at me for being disappointed -- let’s face it, a scathing study would make for a better read. I won’t say that these dishes compare to any dishes made from scratch, but they’re better than a lot of MSG- and preservative-filled products on store shelves. But with any other meal you don’t make yourself, make sure to check the nutrition facts. Remember that sodium, fat and sugar can be organic too, and we don’t want too much of that.

Post and photos by Estelle Tran