I Heart Mac & Cheese Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, I Heart Mac & Cheese cooks with: Butter and cheese sauce base (low PUFA) for mac bowls and grilled cheese; soybean or canola oil for Mac Bites fryer and Tater Tots; flatbreads baked with minimal added oil. Across the 64 menu items we analyzed, it averages 4.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
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Safest Orders at I Heart Mac & Cheese
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Classic Mac & Cheese (bowl) + Water, 3.0g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Tomato Soup | 2.0g |
| Classic Mac & Cheese (bowl) | 3.0g |
| Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese | 3.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Broccoli Base) | 3.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Quinoa Base) | 3.0g |
What to Avoid at I Heart Mac & Cheese
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Mac & Cheese with Buffalo Chicken | 10.0g |
| Buffalo Blue Mac & Cheese | 10.0g |
| Mac Bites - Bacon Jalapeno | 10.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Fried Chicken | 9.0g |
| Mac Bites - Classic | 9.0g |
Every I Heart Mac & Cheese item, ranked
All 64 items we have for I Heart Mac & Cheese, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Dasani Water | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Sugar Free Red Bull | 0.0g |
| Red Bull | 0.0g |
| Side Salad | 2.0g |
| Tomato Soup | 2.0g |
| Kids Mac & Cheese | 2.0g |
| Cheesy Broccoli | 2.0g |
| Dessert Bar (Crispy Rice Marshmallow) | 2.0g |
| Classic Mac & Cheese (bowl) | 3.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Broccoli | 3.0g |
| Kettle Chips | 3.0g |
| Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese | 3.0g |
| Cookie | 3.0g |
| Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies | 3.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Broccoli Base) | 3.0g |
| Miss Vickie's Chips - Jalapeno | 3.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Quinoa Base) | 3.0g |
| Miss Vickie's Chips - Salt & Vinegar | 3.0g |
| Miss Vickie's Chips - BBQ | 3.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Cauliflower Base) | 3.0g |
| Miss Vickie's Chips - Sea Salt | 3.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Grilled Chicken | 4.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Lobster | 4.0g |
| Macaroni Salad | 4.0g |
| Brownie | 4.0g |
| Vegan Classic Mac & Cheese | 4.0g |
| Mac & Cheese Kids Meal | 4.0g |
| Vegan Classic Grilled Cheese | 4.0g |
| Skinny Sweet & Spicy Bowl | 4.0g |
| Classic Grilled Cheese | 4.0g |
| Grilled Cheese Kids Meal | 4.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Bacon | 5.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork | 5.0g |
| Grilled Cheese Sandwich (classic) | 5.0g |
| Grilled Cheese with Tomato | 5.0g |
| BBQ Chicken Flatbread | 5.0g |
| Build Your Own Grilled Cheese (Wheat) | 5.0g |
| Build Your Own Grilled Cheese (Gluten-Free) | 5.0g |
| Vegan Delight Mac & Cheese | 5.0g |
| Classic Mac & Cheese | 5.0g |
| Build Your Own Flatbread | 5.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Pasta Base) | 5.0g |
| Build Your Own Grilled Cheese (Sourdough) | 5.0g |
| Grilled Cheese with Bacon | 6.0g |
| Pepperoni Flatbread | 6.0g |
| Lobster & White Truffle Grilled Cheese | 6.0g |
| Short Rib Philly Flatbread | 6.0g |
| Bacon Love Tomato (BLT) Grilled Cheese | 6.0g |
| Vegan Melt Grilled Cheese | 6.0g |
| Chicken Parm Flatbread | 6.0g |
| Lobster & White Truffle Mac & Cheese | 6.0g |
| Tater Tots | 7.0g |
| Short Rib Philly Mac & Cheese | 7.0g |
| Cuban Grilled Cheese | 7.0g |
| Mac Bites (fried mac bites) | 8.0g |
| Chicken Parmesan Mac & Cheese | 8.0g |
| The Best Of Both Worlds (Short Rib Mac Sandwich) | 8.0g |
| Build Your Own Bowl (Tater Tot Base) | 8.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Fried Chicken | 9.0g |
| Mac Bites - Classic | 9.0g |
| Mac & Cheese with Buffalo Chicken | 10.0g |
| Buffalo Blue Mac & Cheese | 10.0g |
| Mac Bites - Bacon Jalapeno | 10.0g |
Frequently asked
Does I Heart Mac & Cheese use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, I Heart Mac & Cheese cooks with: Butter and cheese sauce base (low PUFA) for mac bowls and grilled cheese; soybean or canola oil for Mac Bites fryer and Tater Tots; flatbreads baked with minimal added oil. Across the 64 menu items we analyzed, it averages 4.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does I Heart Mac & Cheese cook with?
Our research indicates: Butter and cheese sauce base (low PUFA) for mac bowls and grilled cheese; soybean or canola oil for Mac Bites fryer and Tater Tots; flatbreads baked with minimal added oil. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does I Heart Mac & Cheese use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates I Heart Mac & Cheese cooks with Butter and cheese sauce base (low PUFA) for mac bowls and grilled cheese; soybean or canola oil for Mac Bites fryer and Tater Tots; flatbreads baked with minimal added oil, not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is I Heart Mac & Cheese seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates I Heart Mac & Cheese cooks with Butter and cheese sauce base (low PUFA) for mac bowls and grilled cheese; soybean or canola oil for Mac Bites fryer and Tater Tots; flatbreads baked with minimal added oil, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at I Heart Mac & Cheese?
Tomato Soup is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at I Heart Mac & Cheese, at an estimated 2.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at I Heart Mac & Cheese?
Mac & Cheese with Buffalo Chicken is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at I Heart Mac & Cheese, at an estimated 10.0g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
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See where I Heart Mac & Cheese lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.