Kraft Veggie Pasta: "Veggie" but Wheat Flour is 1st Ingredient

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Kraft's new "veggie pasta and cheese" product, which features wheat flour as the primary ingredient despite its marketing as a vegetable-based option. Participants express their opinions on the product's labeling, its ingredients, and broader implications for children's diets and vegetable consumption.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants criticize Kraft for marketing a product labeled as "veggie" while the main ingredients are various forms of wheat flour, with dried cauliflower listed much later.
  • Others express disbelief that consumers will be misled by the marketing, suggesting that adding ketchup could falsely enhance the vegetable content.
  • A participant shares personal experiences about successfully incorporating vegetables into their children's diets, attributing this to proper cooking methods and a positive attitude towards vegetables.
  • Some participants share their current experiences with the product, noting they can taste the cauliflower, which contradicts the expectation set by the product's branding.
  • One participant offers a culinary insight regarding the types of wheat flour used in pasta, suggesting that the product likely contains durum wheat flour, which has specific properties compared to regular white flour.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express disagreement regarding Kraft's marketing practices and the product's ingredient list. There is no consensus on the effectiveness of the product or the broader implications for children's dietary habits.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference personal anecdotes and culinary knowledge, which may not be universally applicable. The discussion includes varying opinions on the perception of vegetables in children's diets and the effectiveness of different cooking methods.

Greg Bernhardt
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What a joke! Kraft comes out with this new mac and cheese. On the front cover it says "veggie pasta and cheese... vegetable pasta and cheese dinner". I look at the ingredient list and it says "Enriched Cauliflower Pasta Product". But it has parentheses. First three ingredients in that product is "Enriched Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Drum Wheat Flour" Dried Cauliflower comes in last further down the list. You got to be kidding me Kraft! I'm still sticking with Annie's Brand.
 
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Greg Bernhardt said:
What a joke! Kraft comes out with this new mac and cheese. On the front cover it says "veggie pasta and cheese... vegetable pasta and cheese dinner". I look at the ingredient list and it says "Enriched Cauliflower Pasta Product". But it has parentheses. First three ingredients in that product is "Enriched Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Drum Wheat Flour" Dried Cauliflower comes in last in the list. You got to be kidding me Kraft! I'm still sticking with Annie's Brand.
What kills me is that people will fall for it. Add a side of ketchup and you've got two servings of vegetables. :rolleyes:

This is ridiculous.

But vegetables, which peaked as a percentage of kids' diets in 1984, remain a sticking point. They're a hassle for parents to buy and keep fresh, they're not generally seen as snack foods the way fruits are, and they're rarely served alone as a main dish. That means if someone is cooking at home, vegetables are added work. And when they are available, many kids simply aren't biting, the analyst said.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2011-07-10-vegetables-food_n.htm

This is ridiculous. You buy a bag of frozen broccoli, dump it into a pan and do a quick stir fry with some garlic and soy sauce. My kids used to beg for this and we had it several times a week, but they loved all vegetables because

1)I know how to cook so my vegetables didn't taste like crap.

2) I had a positive attitude towards vegetables and my kids saw how much I loved them, so they also wanted them

My girls would talk about artichokes and eggplant to school friends that had never heard of such things. They came to my house and reluctantly tried vegetables and loved them so much that they asked if I could teach their mothers.

If you don't show a love for vegetables yourself and dump tasteless crud onto their plate and tell them that they have to eat it because it's healthy, of course your kids won't eat it. Sure, eventually they might develop likings for one over another, but if they've been served properly since they could eat, they won't know not to like it.
 
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Evo said:
What kills me is that people will fall for it. Add a side of ketchup and you've got two servings of vegetables. :rolleyes:

Guess who is making it right now :redface: But it will be my last!

eating it now... I actually can taste the Cauliflower.
 
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greg bernhardt said:
guess who is making it right now :redface: But it will be my last!

Eating it now... I actually can taste the cauliflower.
lol! You're not supposed to taste it!
 
Chinese stir-fry vegetables with chopped garlic. Regardless of which country you are in, still the best tasting anywhere.
 
Somehow you made me crave for raw cauliflower (chopped, but not too thinly) with mayonnaise.
 
I endorse Michelina's Wheels and Cheese.
http://www.michelinas.com/ProductByBrand_CL_07061_Wheels_and_Cheese_6Classics.aspx
I'm addicted. I freaked out a little bit when only two were left at the store tonight.
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
First three ingredients in that product is "Enriched Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Drum Wheat Flour" Dried Cauliflower comes in last further down the list.

I am sure they meant Durum wheat flour, which is the exclusive wheat flour used in most pastas. It has a low gluten content, which keeps the pasta hard and together when cooked.
Regular white flour has a much higher gluten content and gives the stickiness so that the bread dough can rise when yeast is added and put into the oven. Using duram wheat flour in a bread will give it more heaviness, and a finer grain.

That is my "Culinary Facts of Farming" tidbit for the day.