Point/Counterpoint: Annie’s vs. Kraft Dinner

Sure, it’s nice when KD goes on sale, but that’s probably the only advantage it has over Annie’s Noodles. If you compare them by any other metric, it becomes clear that Annie’s Noodles is the blatantly correct choice. 

First off, Annie’s is delicious. I’m partial to their shell pasta with white cheddar, but you can’t go wrong no matter which variety you pick. The taste of the cheese is always the right balance between creamy and sharp. It’s the closest thing I can get to my mom’s homemade mac. 

KD tastes fake by comparison, and don’t get me started on the weird-ass flavours. Who on earth wants spicy mac n’ cheese? Annie’s, on the other hand, has the wisdom to stick to simpler varieties of cheese. Why reinvent the wheel? Thanks to its superior flavors, Annie’s delivers a better eating experience by far.

Not only that, Annie’s has been the more socially conscious company from the get-go. They give out grants for local community gardens and award scholarships to agriculture students who want to be sustainable farmers. They also use sustainable farming practices themselves, to avoid contributing to global climate change as much as they can, and all their products are organic. Sure, KD may be trying to hop on that particular trend now, but Annie’s was committed to it from the start.

It feels weird to betray Canadian KD for American Annie’s Noodles, but sometimes the pasta is better on the other side of the border. If I had to pick one mac n’ cheese to eat forever, it would be Annie’s. No contest. 

– Christine McManus

While the community work Annie’s does is undeniable, there’s just something about Kraft Dinner I can never force myself to give up.

First and foremost, there’s the price. Annie’s is more expensive than Kraft Dinner, and perhaps rightfully so — but you can’t deny that sometimes budget outweighs flavour, especially in university. I feel no greater joy than when I buy a 12-pack of good ol’ KD for just eight dollars.

Next up is flavour. Personally, I’m not a fan of some of the KD variations, I will admit. However, their classic mac n’ cheese is violently nostalgic for me, and I can’t deny  that I do love the whole-heartedly unhealthy, creamy mess of classic Kraft Dinner. All I can think of while I’m eating is old Nickelodeon and a folding TV table on a Sunday evening.

I cannot say Kraft Dinner is healthy. It might be a delicious, cheesy bowl of goodness, but good for you it is not. Still, KD is a staple of Canadian culture. I’ve tried the most popular brands of macaroni and cheese from other countries, and nothing compares to KD. From the commercial featuring a glowing bowl on my younger sister’s orange Rugrats in Paris VHS tape, to the boxes which now permanently reside in my own cupboard, Kraft Dinner will forever hold a place in my Canadian heart. 

Kraft Dinner is cheap, quick, and always delicious. I can’t pretend I don’t cherish it above all others, even artisanal, expensive pastas like Annie’s. KD now and forever fills my stomach and my heart with classically Canadian, perfectly creamy mac n’ cheese.

– Payton Ferguson