Protein Mac and Cheese Coming in Hot: Everything We Know About Kraft PowerMac

Yep, Kraft Mac & Cheese is jumping on the protein-everything train.

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Over the past few years, it’s become evident that packaged food companies won’t rest until you are eating enough protein. How much protein is “enough” protein? Listen, I’m not a dietician (I literally just ate Taco Bell and chocolate Easter eggs for lunch), but the vague answer is simply “more.” And these days you can achieve that “more” mandate by consuming protein soda, protein water, chips, ramen, cereal—or protein mac and cheese. Here’s what we know about new Kraft PowerMac.

PowerMac! Sounds like an Apple product, no?

It sure does! But instead of costing a lot of money and breaking in a few years, Kraft PowerMac will simply be a (presumably) more filling lunch. Regular ol’ Kraft Mac & Cheese (once it’s prepared) has 9g protein and 1g fiber per cup. This new PowerMac, on the other hand, has 17g protein and 6g fiber per serving. That’s pretty good! If you’re not macros-concious, a good protein shake has around 20g protein per serving, so this mac is just a little bit shy of that.

So what has the protein—the mac or the cheese?

That’s a genuinely good question! And I have an answer. A box of Kraft PowerMac comes with the same ol’ powdered cheese packet you know and love, but the mac itself has been infused with protein and fiber. In my opinion, this was the move, because keeping the flavor of the cheese intact is definitely more important than the flavor of the noodles—but hey, hopefully those taste good, too. According to a press release, this enriched mac took “nearly a year” to develop, which I suppose is impressive.

If you’re ready to boot up your PowerMac, you’ll have to wait just a bit. The new Kraft Mac & Cheese will be rolling out in two flavors—Original and White Cheddar—in April for $2.99 a box, which seems cheaper than other protein macs on the market. The brand also teased “additional formats” coming later this year, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for Kraft Deluxe. We’re suckers for a sauce packet!

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.