Food Network Taco Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe

Total time: 35 minutes

Keto Friendliness Gauge

Net Carbs are 7% of calories per serving, at 43g per serving. The amount is risky for the keto diet, but still keto-friendly. Your eating options afterward may be limited, so take anticipated meal consumptions into consideration.

How keto-friendly is Food Network Taco Mac 'n' Cheese? The Keto Friendliness Gauge visualizes how much this food conforms to the standard keto diet.

  • Green implies that Net Carbs fall within standard keto diet guidelines.
  • Yellow implies that Net Carbs are a little higher than standard keto diet guidelines.
  • Orange implies that Net Carbs are much higher than standard keto diet guidelines and risks kicking you out of ketosis.
  • Red implies that the amount of Net Carbs fall within the upper limits allowed by the keto diet and there's a high risk of getting kicked out of ketosis.

Learn more about the keto diet

Explore Nutritional Insights

Click on the icon to expand each section below

Keto & Health Insights for Food Network Taco Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe

  • Net Carbs are 7% of calories per serving, at 43g per serving. This food is risky for the keto diet (it's above the standard keto diet guidelines) but it's still keto-friendly. Consuming this item may limit your ability to eat more foods that contain carbs. Take into consideration whether you intend to consume additional meals or what you've already consumed. It's recommended that you track the macros of your daily food consumptions—this makes it easier to avoid overconsumption.
  • This food contains trans fat, a type of fat that's considered extremely unhealthy. Trans-fatty acids elevate bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol. And increases the likelihood for heart disease, strokes, and Type 2 diabetes. The FDA has mostly banned high amounts of trans-fatty acids in prepared foods, but you can still find trans fat quantities on food labels. Especially for most fast-food meals. Learn more about unhealthy fats.
  • This food's %DV (daily value percentage) for sodium is 36%. At 819mg, it's considered high in sodium according to the FDA's standard for %DV (daily value percentage), which considers any food with %DV of more than 20% as high in sodium. The organization recommends 2300mg of sodium as the daily limit. High sodium is believed to be associated with health problems such as heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, and kidney malfunctions. There's also a belief that diets with high amounts of salt correlates with obesity, but the link hasn't proven to be so direct. Instead, salt may trigger overeating by increasing the feeling of hunger, according to studies referenced in this WebMD article about salt & obesity. Add-ons such as sauces and condiments are the usual high-sodium culprits in most restaurant meals. Sodium additives are responsible for most high sodium amounts in packaged foods, especially frozen meals. For most adults, a healthy range for daily maximum sodium consumption is between 1500-2300mg; foods should be within 5%-20% DV per serving.

Food Network Taco Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 10 servings   ( 293 g )
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 644
Total Fat: 36g
Saturated Fat: 17g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 13g
Trans Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 115mg
Sodium: 819mg
Total Carbohydrates: 46g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 31g
Calcium: 311mg Iron: 3mg
Potassium: 611mg Vitamin A: 176mcg
Vitamin C: 3mg Vitamin D: 1mcg

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • Two 1-ounce packets taco seasoning
  • 1 recipe Perfect Cheese Sauce, recipe follows
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked
  • 1/2 cup grated Cheddar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup diced tomato
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 3 cups milk, heated
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Visit Food Network's website to view the recipe instructions. (Via Edamam)