Nutritional Information For Macaroni & Cheese With Peas & Prosciutto

Macaroni and cheese is a comfort food many people turn to after a long, tiring or cold day. A bowl of macaroni and cheese on its own supplies nutrients, such as calcium, but might also contain a large amount of fat. If you include additional ingredients in your macaroni and cheese, you might increase or decrease the nutritional value. Peas and prosciutto are tasty additions, but you should know more about their nutritional values before you make your next batch of macaroni and cheese.

Calories and Fat

A 3-ounce serving of macaroni and cheese contains 173 calories and 5.77 grams of fat, with 1.17 grams being saturated fat. Peas contain 134 calories per 1-cup serving and 0 grams of fat. Two slices of prosciutto contain 70 calories and 4 grams of fat, with 1.5 grams being saturated fat. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a diet high in saturated fat can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and high cholesterol.

Fiber

Peas are a healthy source of fiber. One cup of cooked peas provides you with 8.8 grams of the 20 to 35 grams of fiber you need in your diet each day. One cup of macaroni and cheese contributes an additional 1.3 grams of fiber. If you use whole-wheat macaroni noodles, you will get even more fiber from your macaroni and cheese. Fiber is an essential part of your diet because it helps reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and constipation.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral essential to the health of your bones and teeth. The health of your muscles and nerves also rely on plenty of calcium in your diet. The milk and butter used to prepare macaroni and cheese add about 72 milligrams of calcium. If you prepare your macaroni and cheese from scratch, you can increase that number significantly by using real cheese. Peas contribute an additional 43 milligrams of calcium. Prosciutto does not contain any additional calcium.

Sodium

Both macaroni and cheese and prosciutto contain a significant amount of added salt. You should not consume more than 2,300 milligrams of salt on a daily basis, MayoClinic.com cautions. Monitoring your sodium intake will help decrease your risk of stroke, kidney disease and high blood pressure. A 3-ounce serving of macaroni and cheese contains 336 milligrams of sodium. Two slices of prosciutto contain 560 milligrams of sodium.

Additional Nutrients

A serving of macaroni and cheese prepared from a box also supplies you with 1.3 milligrams of iron, 126 milligrams of potassium and 380 international units of vitamin A. Prosciutto contributes 9 grams of protein, but does not contain significant amounts of other vitamins or minerals. Peas are the healthiest part of this dish. A 1-cup serving provides you with 8.58 grams of protein, 2.46 milligrams of iron, 434 milligrams of potassium, 1.9 milligrams of zinc, 22.7 milligrams of vitamin C and 1,282 international units of vitamin A.