Wow! Did Annie spit in the author's brie during sorority hazes or what? This author has some issues for wanting to attack a comparatively small, woman-conceived and run natural foods company.

The nerve of any woman to try to compete with Kraft and *gasp* succeed! And then, here's the real shocker, she went on to succeed a second time in a second business venture. Pure evil, I tell you!

Any literate person who is more than mildly concerned about what s/he or her children eat reads the box, reads the labels and knows the difference between natural and organic. We also know that we don't want to regularly feed our kids stuff with dyes and synthetic vitamins - I don't expect my child's mac& cheese or her cereal to provide all of her nutrients for the day!

I have one kid who prefers Kraft and two who prefer Annie's. I like it that they don't add dyes and extra crap to our food, and I realize that I'm not buying organic if I buy "natural". Yes, I commit the crime of feeding my kids a powdered cheese product, fixed with milk from a local dairy. I buy mostly organic produce, hormone-free milk, and sometimes candy from M&Ms. I figure it all balances out. My kids will eat sushi, saag paneer, enchiladas, or sweet and sour shrimp with equal gusto.

Find some balance! I know how to make macaroni and cheese (and many other things) from scratch, but I still make the box stuff sometimes. If you're looking for evil, I'm sure you can find a way to attack any company, but a socially-responsible, woman-owned business that leaves the unpronouncable fake "nutrients" out of my food is okay with me. I don't expect my food choices to save the world, but I hope that they won't damage the world beyond recognition, either.

If this was the biggest topic the author could think of to tackle, she needs to get out more.

For those interested in real facts, there is a link on Annie.com website front page that shows the real difference between Annie's and the other guys in recommended preparation. A snapshot summary below

Our preparation instructions recommend using lowfat milk for the healthiest product that, when prepared, contains fewer calories (280), less total fat (4.5 g) and less sodium (550 mg) than the competitor, which can contain up to 380 calories, 15 grams of fat and 740 milligrams of sodium per serving:

Amount Per Serving

as Prepared Annie’s Homegrown*, Competitor*

Calories 280, 380

Calories from Fat 40, 140

Total Fat 7%, 23%

Saturated Fat 13%, 20%

Trans Fat 0%, 0%

Cholesterol 5%, 3%

Sodium 23%, 31%

Total Carbohydrate 16%, 17%

Dietary Fiber 8%, 4%

* Recommended preparation

John, Annie's CEO

There's nothing REAL about Kraft cheese.

Kraft claims their cheese is "real", yet do not list any trace of naturally-sourced cheese on their ingredient statements. We all know that Kraft cheese is NOT real cheese; It's a bunch of chemicals combined in some laboratory dyed orange to look like cheese.

What I want to know is, how are they able to make the "real cheese" claim? Does this make anyone else furious that a company as large as Kraft has poisoned our food supply with such "convenient meals" for so many decades?

see: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=23741

This Kraft link was funny.... So,...., Kraft Mac is not real cheese? Now there is a shocker. Hold the presses, major news to follow. I could have told you that 25 years ago after having my first bowl of the orange glow glow noodles, but darn I loved the taste as a kid.

Moving the family to healther options, lots of fresh vegetables, organic milk, and sorry Anastacia, or whatever your name is, once and a while a ride on the yummy Annie's express... the purple one. My daughter has a bunny, too.

At the end of a play date a few years ago, I could not get my daughter into the van. Try as I might, the Annies cheese something or other snacks that my friend had brought out had an unnatural hold on my girl. Usually I don't care if my girl snacks, but my mother had just returned home after a 10 day visit. With her she took all the junk food, crackers, American cheese that a toddler might want. So I said NO! Get in the car! No more junk food!

My friend pops up, These are ok. They're Annies from Wild Oats.

Well, excuse me! I had no idea that food was cleansed once it entered the hallowed doors of Wild Oats/Trader Joes/Whole Foods. Who are these people kidding!

Glad to see that I shouldn't feel too guilty about serving the box o'blue stuff. BTW, my kids won't eat real stuff. I make it for my husband and myself all the time. It IS easy.

Really, Macaroni and cheese that comes out of a BOX isn't good for you?!!!

Who'd have tought?