Food Lion Deluxe Shells & Cheddar Dinner- Food Review

My family and I just returned from our annual trip to South Carolina. One of our very first orders of business, even before hitting the beach is to swing by the local Food Lion. I am always on a food budget, even on vacation, so I take advantage of the supermarket's low prices to keep my family well fed without breaking the bank. My youngest daughter loves all things macaroni and cheese, so I immediately picked up several boxes of Food Lion Deluxe Shells & Cheddar Dinner.

This supermarket brand of food products has very simple packaging. Nothing fancy, nothing unnecessary. The front of this product's box simply shows a bowl of shell noodles covered in a rich looking cheddar cheese. I enjoy the basic nature of the design, as it conveys the feeling that the purchase price is going towards the actual contents, not on elaborate packaging. I paid only $1.99 per twelve ounce box. Considering that this was an adequate amount to feed both of my daughters for lunch, or to provide a nice side dish for the four of us for dinner, I feel this was definitely a bargain.

Preparation of this meal couldn't be any quicker or more convenient. After stirring the pasta into six cups of boiling water, the pot is left on the burner for approximately ten to twelve minutes. An occasional stir is required to ensure even cooking and to prevent the shell noodles from sticking. Once the desired tenderness is achieved, the water gets drained out of the pot. A quick shake or two of the shells ensures that all trapped water gets released. The pasta then gets returned to the empty cooking pot and the envelope of cheese sauce gets well mixed into the shells. The entire process takes just under fifteen minutes.

One cup prepared of Food Lion Deluxe Shells & Cheddar Dinner contains three hundred and fifty calories. There is thirteen grams of Total Fat, with five grams of Saturated Fat and zero Trans Fat. There is twenty five milligrams of Cholesterol and one thousand, one hundred and ten milligrams of Sodium. Forty six grams of Total Carbohydrate and four grams of Sugar is also contained in this serving size. While the amount of Cholesterol and Sodium is a bit disheartening, there is some nutritional benefit to this product as well. One cup offers two grams of Fiber and thirteen grams of Protein. Twenty five percent of the daily recommended value of Vitamin A, twenty percent of Calcium and ten percent of Iron is gained by enjoying this meal.

Overall, I would definitely rate this product a solid four out of five stars. The pasta is ready in a blink of an eye, the cost is very low and the taste is delicious. The pasta shells cook up to a nice size and density and the cheese sauce is rich, creamy and very flavorful. We all enjoyed this side dish to our meals immensely, and truly look forward to heading back down South to stock up on this product again.