7 Kraft Products To Keep Out Of Your Grocery Cart Now And Forever

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Everyone has heard of Kraft. The brand has been around for more than 120 years and produces some of the most widely recognized condiments and processed food items on shelves. Chances are, you have at least one Kraft product in your fridge or pantry. From the beloved Mac and Cheese to Kraft Singles to salad dressings galore, the company has enjoyed a lot of success over the years.

However, things have been changing. Over the last few years, Kraft Heinz has been facing some hard times. Its revenue dropped drastically in 2019 after more customers started moving toward eating healthier, less processed foods. In more recent years, the brand has faced backlash and complaints over the use of artificial dyes and preservatives. The company has also faced class-action lawsuits and product recalls.

With all this recent news, it begs the question: Are Kraft products worth buying? From my research into all the controversy and complaints, I've come to the conclusion that the products on this list are not. These products are either unhealthy, don't taste that great, or both. Opinions were gathered from forums, rankings, reviews, and news sources. Here are seven Kraft products that you're better off leaving out of your grocery cart now and forever.

Kraft changed the cheese game when it created Kraft Singles. Founding company member Norman Kraft began experimenting with processed cheese in 1935, and eventually invented American cheese. The individually packaged slices were rolled out in 1965. Before then, cheese could only be purchased in blocks. The invention of American cheese meant you could have it in slices. Because of this, it melted better and it lasted longer.

But Kraft's American cheese has lost it's appeal today, and we no longer recommend the product. The flavor and texture just aren't there, even compared to other American cheeses. The New York Times did a taste test, and found it sometimes separated into dissatisfying bits when melted.

Additionally, consuming American cheese like Kraft Singles isn't great for your health. The cheese contains high level of saturated fats and sodium, which can be bad for you if you consume too much. It can increase the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. It's because of this that it's recommended you only consume Kraft Singles occasionally — or better yet, skip it altogether.

We also recommend that you skip Kraft's Zesty Italian Dressing, for health and taste reasons. Store-bought salad dressing is often one of the unhealthiest parts of a salad, as it can contain high levels of fat and sodium. Kraft's Zesty Italian Dressing is no exception. Just one serving contains 13% of your daily recommended serving of salt. So just from two tablespoons, you're already on your way to a salt-heavy day when you add this to your salad.

There is also the matter of taste. A review at Tasting Table of this Zesty Italian Dressing shared that, while overall they did like this dressing, it tasted very oily, and lacked acidity. While it could work as a marinade, the dressing doesn't have what it takes to be the main focus of a dish like a salad.

More often than not, salad dressing is a condiment that you can make better and healthier with ingredients you already have at home. Overall, you're better off throwing together your own Italian dressing than purchasing this one.

When it comes to horseradish sauces, if you're looking for something full and flavorful, Kraft's product is not the brand to buy. According to Chowhound's own review of store-bought horseradish sauces, Kraft's performed badly due to extreme blandness. Despite an ingredient list that included several spices, there was only a hint of perceivable spice. Mayonnaise was the predominant flavor, so, when paired with meat, the flavor of Kraft's Horseradish Sauce disappeared completely. You can find better sauces with more flavor easily.

But you don't have to take our word for it. On Amazon, those who purchased the produce said it also tased bland.Others on the retail site criticized the mouth feel. "I won't get this again ... it has a very artificial texture and aftertaste," wrote one person on Amazon.

Like other Kraft products, the nutritional content of this item isn't great either. A 2 tablespoon serving contains 100 calories. While this isn't a ton when you look at the big scheme of how many calories any person should eat in a day, it is a bit high for a sauce.

I know that this next entry is going to be a bit controversial, as most of us have many childhood memories of eating Kraft Mac and Cheese. However, nostalgia is not enough to warrant picking it up from the store. 

As sad as it may be to accept, Kraft isn't the best boxed Mac and Cheese anymore, according to Chowhound. Others agree. Reviews have said that the flavor runny and bland. While the taste isn't all that bad, there are just others out there that are more flavorful. Reddit has a thread dedicated to how Kraft's Mac and Cheese has gone downhill, with many commenters saying the recipe and flavor don't seem to be what they used to be. "The last couple times I've had it, it's just tasted so bland. At first I thought it might have been a fluke but I had some today and I couldn't even finish it," wrote one person on Reddit.

Not to mention, if you're trying to eat healthier, you'll probably want to leave Kraft's Mac and Cheese on the shelf. It has a higher amount of calories, with 1,000 calories per box. While it does have some plus sides — good protein and low saturated fat — it lacks the necessary nutrients to be a healthy meal.

Coleslaw is a summertime classic, serving as the perfect side dish for everything from barbecue to fried chicken to burgers. While you can pick up a pre-made coleslaw at the store or possibly from a local restaurant, there are plenty of options for store-bought coleslaw dressings that you can add to your salad. Kraft, of course, has its own. However, it's not the best option, due to its taste.

Reviews have said that the taste is bad, commenting that other brands were much tastier, and others have commented that it's too runny. More than one reviewer commented on the fact that it contains high fructose corn syrup, a common red flag to look out for at the grocery store since studies say our bodies don't process it the same way as regular glucose.  

While this is a cheap option that you can easily pick up at any store, the question is, would you want to? The chances are, you're going to have to add something to it to make it better, which defeats the purpose of getting a pre-made dressing. You deserve to get a dressing that already packs a lot of flavor and doesn't need to be spiced up.

When it comes to barbecue sauce, there are many options out there on the market. Walk into any grocery store, and it's easily the sauce with the most options and usually has a dedicated aisle. So, of course, Kraft is going to have a foot in the game, and it's got several. However, we're focusing on one: Slow-Simmered Original Barbecue Sauce.

Reviewers have commented that it's overwhelmingly sweet and has an artificial taste, like ketchup.  Others have said that it's watery, which tones down the flavor. Still others said they had to combine it with a different barbecue sauce to get the flavor they wanted. 

You might be able to save it with one of these ways to improve store-bought sauce, but I question whether it's worth the effort. You want a sauce with a good flavor profile, whether you prefer something that's sweeter or tangier. There are so many other barbecue sauces out there, and they aren't all super expensive.

While many people probably have fond memories of packing a lunch that included Lunchables, it turns out that they may not be all that good for kiddos. Tests by Consumer Reports in April 2024 found cadmium and lead in some Lunchables. While they didn't exceed legal limits, it was still concerning. According to the report, even small amounts can have adverse effects in children, such as developmental problems, hypertension, and kidney damage. The lunch kits also had concerning levels of sodium. Consumer Reports said they were within allowed limits, but cautioned that the amounts found (460 milligrams to 740 milligrams) could be almost 25 percent of a child's daily recommended limit, depending on their age. 

Shortly after the report was released, Kraft Heinz removed Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program, pulling them from lunches served at schools across the country. At the end of the day, there are healthier options when it comes to packing lunch for the littles. Rather than purchasing processed Lunchables, consider putting together your own kits with healthy veggies and cheese and using cupcake liners to spruce them up. 

How did I create this list? Well, it took a lot of research. I mean, I went down a lot of internet rabbit holes so you wouldn't have to.

First, I set to work finding out what actual customers were saying about Kraft products on various public forums. Kraft has a lot on the market — over 200 brands, in case you didn't know — and I needed to narrow my list down to those I could realistically look into. Otherwise, I could spend forever researching every single thing that Kraft has ever released. So, I scoured until I found those products that seemed to be getting a fair amount of chatter. There was a decent number of people complaining about some of Kraft's most popular items. So, I did a deep dive into those products.

I also needed to set up criteria. In this case, I looked for items that were deemed as having a low-quality taste or being unhealthy. Some on this list are actually both. Through this process, I was able to narrow down the list to what you see here. These were the items that people were chatting the most about and had the most sources to back them up. A product got extra points against it if it had been in the news.

From all that research, I was able to compile this list and draw some conclusions. While some of the products are not exactly at the bottom of the heap, you can clearly see that Kraft is losing a bit of its touch in some areas. And while they might not be the worst, there are definitely better options out there for you to take advantage of.