Canned pasta...yay or nay?

I noticed that Chef Boyardee is now offering "whole grain" products, and it made me think about how many canned pasta products are on the market now. Let's talk about that a little bit.

Simple pasta is quick, cheap, and easy to make - boil some whole wheat noodles and top with a healthy marinara (like Prego Marinara). Maybe healthy ravioli, meatballs, etc. isn't quite as easy, but you get what I'm saying. There are options.

If a can is what your heart is set on, let's weigh the options.


Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Mini ABC's & 123's with Meatballs
Ingredients:
Water, Tomatoes (Tomato Puree, Water), Meatballs (Beef and Pork, Water, Crackermeal (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and Folic Acid), Salt, Soy Protein Concentrate, Caramel Coloring, Flavorings and Soybean Oil), Pasta (Whole Wheat Flour, Semolina Wheat Flour), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Less than 2% of: Cheese (Enzyme Modified Cheddar and Pasteurized Process Cheddar [Pasteurized Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Cream, Milkfat, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate and APO-Carotenal [Colors]), Sea Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Flavorings, Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Soybean Oil.

Chef Boyardee Regular Mini ABC's & 123's with Meatballs
Ingredients:
Water, Tomatoes (Water, Tomato Puree), Meatballs (Beef and Pork, Water, Crackermeal [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2} and Folic Acid], Salt, Soy Protein Concentrate, Caramel Coloring, Flavorings and Soybean Oil), Enriched Macaroni Product (Semolina Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2] and Folic Acid), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Contains Less than 2% of: Sea Salt, Cheeses (Enzyme Modified Cheddar and Pasteurized Process Cheddar [Pasteurized Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Milkfat, Apo-Carotenal and Annatto [Colors] and Vitamin A Palmitate), Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Flavorings and Soybean Oil.

Campbell's Spaghetti O's, with Meatballs
Ingredients:
Water, Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Meatballs (Beef, Pork, Water, Bread Crumbs [Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Dextrose, Salt, Yeast, Soybean Oil], Soy Protein Concentrate, Salt, Dehydrated Onion, Dehydrated Garlic, Beef Flavor [Beef Stock, Flavoring, Salt], Spice Extract), Enriched Macaroni Product with Added Calcium and Vitamin D (Wheat Flour, Calcium Phosphate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D) (All Nutrients in Excess of Standard), Enriched Macaroni Product (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Contains Less than 2% of: Sugar, Carrot Juice Concentrate, Salt, Enzyme, Modified Cheddar Cheese (Cheddar Cheese [Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Calcium Chloride], Water, Disodium Phosphate, Enzymes), Potassium Chloride, Vegetable Oil, Enzyme Modified Butter (Milk), Yeast Extract, Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Nonfat Dry Milk, Malic Acid, Succinic Acid

Annie's P'sghetti Loops with Soy Meatballs
Ingredients:
WATER, ORGANIC TOMATO PUREE, SOY MEATBALLS (TEXTURED SOY PROTEIN, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN, PRESSED CANOLA OIL, BREAD CRUMBS [WHEAT FLOUR, SALT], NATURAL VEGETABLE FLAVORS, SALT, VEGETABLE GUM, SUGAR, SPICES, ONION, GARLIC, CELERY, PARSLEY), ORGANIC MACARONI (ORGANIC SEMOLINA [WHEAT], WATER), ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, SEA SALT, ORGANIC CORN STARCH, ORGANIC CHEDDAR CHEESE (ORGANIC CULTURED MILK, ENZYMES, SALT), CITRIC ACID, ORGANIC ONION POWDER, ORGANIC PAPRIKA, ORGANIC GARLIC POWDER.

We buy the Annie's variety on occassion because I think it is the best choice out of the bunch, and my kids like the way it tastes. It is normally more expensive than the others, but I think you get what you're paying for. I still believe you are better off making it yourself!