What oil does I Heart Mac & Cheese fry in?
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.
The 5 cleanest things to order 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.
| 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 (Cauliflower Base) | 3.0g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the I Heart Mac & Cheese report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.
Frequently asked
Does I Heart Mac & Cheese use beef tallow?
No. 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. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.