#1811 Bolus 4 - Hamburger Helper

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Bolus 4 – Hamburger Helper (#1811)

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny Smith
Date: March 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode is part of the “Bolus 4” mini-series, where Scott Benner and diabetes educator Jenny Smith break down real-life strategies for dosing insulin (bolusing) for popular convenience foods—in this case, Hamburger Helper. The goal is to help people living with diabetes make smarter, less anxious decisions around challenging packaged meals by showing the thinking process in an honest, conversational style. While the technical “Meal Bolt” roadmap (Measure the Meal, Evaluate Yourself, Add the Base Units, etc.) is present behind the scenes, the episode keeps things accessible, aiming for real-world usefulness over precision.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Hamburger Helper Jingle & Cultural Memories

[02:58–04:31]

• Scott kicks off with a deep admiration for the Hamburger Helper jingle, dissecting its layered meaning:

  “Hamburger Helper helps your hamburger helper make a great meal. It’s helping the helper, but the way they pause, it’s help her. Because probably when they wrote the song, your wife was making it.” (A, 04:00)

• Jenny laughs, finding Scott’s analysis both ridiculous and “brilliant.”
• They riff on nostalgia, discussing family traditions like saving bacon grease in coffee cans and the generational popularity of packaged foods.

2. Breaking Down Hamburger Helper’s Nutrition

[04:31–14:08]

• Complexity in Calculating Carbs and Fat:

  • Scott and Jenny highlight how the many variables—beef leanness (70–95%), draining fat, type of milk (whole vs 2% or skim)—make it tricky to determine precisely how much insulin is needed.

    “4 ounces of raw beef, 95% lean, is 5.5 grams of fat… 70% lean is 34 grams. Does it hold that after cooking?” (A, 05:16)

  • Jenny advises: Always drain grease but notes, “Fat equals flavor 100%.” (B, 06:09)

• Mix vs. Prepared Dish:

  • The boxed mix alone is low in fat and protein but assembling the dish brings in significant variables. Prepared Hamburger Helper includes pasta, beef, and milk—major sources of both carbs and fat.

• Nutrition Label Confusion:

  • The hosts emphasize how label info is often split between “dry” and “prepared” but not always clear.

    “Sometimes they’re very clear about it and sometimes they are not.” (A, 12:17)

  • Jenny explains how prepared labels should be interpreted: “The column that you want to look at for your total package… says per prepared serving.” (B, 12:28)

3. The Challenge of Accurate Bolusing for Packaged Foods

[14:08–26:07]

• Estimating Servings and Macros:

  • The two discuss the lack of clarity for serving sizes and how the added ingredients (particularly beef and milk) significantly alter macronutrient totals.
  • Using an insulin calculator, Scott tries to compute insulin needed for the whole box, then a quarter box, adjusting the math as they remember to add carb contributions from milk.

    “If you ate the entire box… 2.8 up front, 4.84 over eight… But 7.6 units to cover the entire thing.” (A, 21:06)

• Carbs Underestimated:

  • Both note that simply using the box’s stated carbs will very likely result in under-bolusing, since real-world prep usually adds more carbs and fat than the label reflects.

    “If you are trying to make this for your kid… you’re just going to put in 28 carbs… you’re going to end up under bolusing.” (A, 24:37)

• Real-Life Approach:

  • Jenny suggests, for most, it’s an estimate—do your best, watch the CGM, and tweak for next time.

4. Bolusing Strategy and Meal Bolt in Action

[18:05–24:10]

• Steps, Even if Informal:

  • The hosts demonstrate “Meal Bolt” principles through the discussion:
    • Measure: Add up individual components (pasta, beef, milk).
    • Evaluate: Consider your past experiences, the macro profile, and how your body responds.
    • Build Bolus Shape: Consider extended bolus for higher fat/protein content.
    • Offset Timing: Be prepared for a delayed blood glucose rise due to fat.

• Big Takeaway:

  • No two boxes or methods will be the same, and even the small single-serve cups can have a very different macro profile due to less actual meat and more pasta.

5. Humor, Banter, and Food Nostalgia

[27:06–34:20]

• The episode is laced with humor and memories of childhood food—Scott grew up poor, sometimes missing dinner on Hamburger Helper nights; Jenny is scarred by bad SpaghettiOs meatballs.

  “I could never get Hamburger Helper. I can’t get it down, like, the smell of it hits me right in the pit of my stomach.” (A, 43:04)

• They riff on user reviews for the single-serve Hamburger Helper, delighting in the drama and detail of negative Walmart reviews.

6. A Little Jingle History

[37:35–38:35]

• Scott actually researches the original jingle, learning it was created by the agency Needham, Harper and Steers, with Joel Friedman penning many of the iconic tunes and Mike Cafeterra inventing the “Lefty” glove mascot.

  "They changed it to 'your' when they got older because they didn’t want to be sexist." (A, 37:35)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On nostalgia and gendered jingles:
  “Hamburger Helper helps your hamburger help her make a great meal. It’s brilliant. Whoever wrote it deserves an Emmy or a BAFTA or…I don’t know what they give. Grammy.” (A, 03:42)
• On draining the beef:
  “Oh my God. The first time I said to my wife, take that grease out of the pan, she goes, why? That’s where the flavor is. I said, I’m trying to stay alive. What are you doing?” (A, 06:00)
• Jenny on nutrition confusion:
  “Packages will actually have a panel…for the dry product. And then right next to it…per prepared serving. And that’s typically then the column that you want to look at.” (B, 12:28)
• Scott, in the thick of the numbers:
  “I hate doing math in front of people because it makes me feel stupid. But 15, the fat goes down to 15, right?...Don’t laugh at me. I really did fall asleep [in math].” (A, 24:10)
• Jenny on being real:
  “This is an estimate. Absolutely.” (B, 35:43)
• Scott’s summary philosophy:
  “When you’re making Hamburger Helper, you’re making it for one of two reasons. And the biggest reason is probably convenience. And now I’m sitting around like Einstein with numbers floating over my head trying to figure out how to bolus for this thing. I figure you’re gonna have to throw in some insulin and…see how it goes. And then next time just adjust off your historic number.” (A, 35:09)

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Practical Takeaways & Tips

• Add Up Everything: Don’t rely on the box carb count alone—factor in all add-ins (beef, milk) for total carbs, fat, and protein.
• Be Conservative but Watchful: Estimate as best as you can, bolus accordingly, and check your CGM to tweak next time.
• High Fat Requires Strategy: Meals like Hamburger Helper that combine significant fat and carbs may trigger delayed blood sugar spikes—consider combo or extended bolus if your insulin pump supports it.
• Label Reading is Tricky: “Dry” vs. “prepared” nutrition info can be hard to parse; look for serving size clarity and always refer to macros per prepared serving.
• Convenience Foods Vary: Smaller, single-serve or shelf-stable versions can have very different nutrition profiles; always double-check the label.

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Notable Timestamps for Quick Reference

• Hamburger Helper jingle and its meaning: 02:58–04:42
• Fat content in various ground beefs: 05:16–06:12
• Nutrition label confusion/deep dive: 12:17–14:08
• Calculator demonstrations/bolusing math: 21:06–24:10
• Single-serve Hamburger Helper review banter: 27:53–31:48
• Original jingle authors and “Lefty” the mascot: 37:35–38:35

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Tone and Style

Authentic, personal, and humorous with a pinch of self-deprecation and nostalgia. Scott and Jenny are deeply empathetic to the daily struggles of diabetes management and prioritize real-world approaches over strict technical lectures. Their banter makes the discussion accessible and engaging while still delivering practical value.

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Final Word

You probably won’t get a perfect bolus for Hamburger Helper on the first go, but this episode gives you a window into how people who spend their lives thinking about diabetes navigate the messiness in real time—and reminds you it’s OK to estimate, experiment, and (literally) try again tomorrow.

Transcript

[A]

Here we are back together again, friends, for another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. In every episode of Bolus 4, Jenny Smith and I are going to take a few minutes to talk through how to bolus for a single item of food. Jenny and I are going to follow a little bit of a roadmap called Meal Bolt. Measure the meal, evaluate yourself, add the base units, layer a correction, build the bolus shape, offset the timing, look at the cgm tweak for next time. Having said that, these episodes are going to be very conversational and not incredibly technical. We want you to hear how we think about it, but we also would like you to know that this is kind of the pathway we're considering while we're talking about it. So while you might not hear us say every letter of Meal Bolt in every episode, we will be thinking about it while we're talking. If you want to learn more, go to juiceboxpodcast.com Meal Bolt but for now, we'll find out how to bolus for today's subject. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by usmed usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. Get your supplies the same way we do from usmed. Today's episode is also sponsored by Omnipod. Would you ever buy a car without test driving it first? That's a big risk to take on a pretty large investment. You wouldn't do that, right? So why would you do it? When it comes to choosing an insulin pump, most pumps come with a four year lock in period through the DME channel and and you don't even get to try it first. But not Omnipod 5. Omnipod 5 is available exclusively through the pharmacy, which means it doesn't come with a typical four year DME lock in period. Plus you can get started with a free 30 day trial to be sure it's the right choice for you or your family. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day for 17 years. Are you ready to give Omnipod5 a try? Request your free starter kit today at my link omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox find my link in the show notes of this podcast player or@juicebox podcast.com Jennifer we are going to bolus for you Ready Hamburger Helper now, before we talk about what's in Hamburger Helper, I would like to spend 30 seconds telling what I think is very important to mention here. Hamburger Helper has maybe the greatest jingle in the world. I think it's brilliant. I try to tell people about all the time. My family won't listen to me, but listen to this.

[B]

I don't. I didn't know that Hamburger Helper had a jingle. Bandaid.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I stuck on Band Aid. It's like that. Hamburger Helper helps your Hamburger Helper make a great meal. Brilliant. Okay. Because Hamburger Helper is what it is and Hamburger Helper is what it's doing. Okay. And Right. And then it helps.

[B]

Oh, my God, that's hilarious.

[A]

Oh, my God, it's brilliant. Whoever wrote it deserves an Emmy or a BAFTA or I don't know what they give Grammy.

[B]

I think you broke it down and actually thought of it the way that the person who wrote the jingle was thinking of it having that meaning.

[A]

Can't not think of it when I hear it.

[B]

Most people probably have not done that.

[A]

But there's more.

[B]

Oh, there's more.

[A]

Keeping in mind, it was probably written a really long time ago. Hamburger Helper, which already. Brilliant. Hamburger Helper helps your Hamburger Helper make a great meal. It's helping the helper, but the way they pause, it's help her. Because probably when they wrote the song, your wife was making it. Right. So really think about all the implications. Hamburger Helper helps your hamburger help her make a great meal. It's brilliant. Who wrote it? We'll find out at the end. A genius, I guarantee you. They probably also came up with the way to, like, separate ions from water or something like that. I imagine this person is a brilliant person. Nevertheless, Jenny, wait till you find out what's in hand. Hamburger Helper, cheeseburger, macaroni.

[B]

Oh, great.

[A]

Yeah, it's gonna be good. It's a box dinner macaroni entree with pasta and cheesy sauce. It says it's made with real cheese and real spice. That. I mean, it would be funny if it was fake spices, but. Okay, just add beef, water and milk. And this is part of what I wanted to talk about today.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Because who knows? Are you buying 95% lean hamburger helper or hamburger? 90. 85. 80.

[B]

70.

[A]

They got 70. I didn't know 70. 80 is the lowest I see at my place. Does that sound fancy? Now? People like, oh, I don't know.

[B]

I really don't look in that section because we don't eat beef So I. I can't say that I look. But, yes, there are many percentiles with many fat concentrations, which is what that percent means that you're talking about.

[A]

Okay, So I have the fat breakdowns there. So when we put this all together, we're going to. But I'll tell you, interestingly enough, I think, of course, I think we've come to realize now when we're talking about this, we're probably the only two dorks that are really that interested in this, but 4 ounces of raw beef, 95% lean, is 5.5 grams of fat. 90% lean is 11 and a half. 85% lean. 17. 80% is 22.5. 70% lean is 34 grams. Does it hold that after cooking?

[B]

Well, that's what I was going to say. This is pre cooked, right?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

In which the case, as the good dietitian that I started out being always taught to tell people, drain the grease.

[A]

Oh, my God. The first time I said to my wife, take that grease out of the pan, she goes, why? That's where the flavor is. I said, I'm trying to stay alive. What are you doing?

[B]

Like, you know, fat equals flavor 100%.

[A]

I don't care. I want to stay alive. Do you understand? I don't want to eat something that I can't pour down my drain.

[B]

Please don't even pour it.

[A]

No.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Oh, God. Don't pour down your drain. Yeah.

[B]

When you were growing up, did your mom. Did your parents have a coffee can?

[A]

Yeah, coffee.

[B]

Their refrigerator that they put all the grease into, and then when it was full, they threw it away.

[A]

Yeah. Bacon grease, like anything like that.

[B]

That's so funny. I've never. I haven't thought of that in such a long time.

[A]

Wait, yours was in the refrigerator my mom always kept.

[B]

Because she kept, you know, like a. An old, like, tin can, coffee can or something.

[A]

They put. Yeah, right.

[B]

And she would. But they refrigerated, and she kept it in the fridge so that it wouldn't get gross and whatever on the counter. It would solidify in the fridge, and then she filled it until it was full and then got rid of it.

[A]

Did you have a little bin of coffee grinds under your sink?

[B]

No. Well, I should say you, yes, but truly, only in the spring, Summer, fall. Because then it went into the garden.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Cooked. 95% lean is 4 grams of fat. 90% lean is 7 grams. 85%. 9 grams. 80%. 11 grams. 70%. 12 grams. Also, you're going to use milk in this two cups. So.

[B]

And let's say most people now typically use 2%, I would expect.

[A]

Really? I would never.

[B]

You would never. Do you skim or whole?

[A]

Only whole milk. If I'm drinking milk, I'm going for it. I mean that's. That I can't drink milk water because that's really what it starts to feel like.

[B]

I haven't had a glass of milk probably since.

[A]

Oh, I wouldn't know when. Yeah.

[B]

I don't even know when I. The last time I had a glass of milk.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I probably grade school when I was with. Yeah.

[A]

And I know this sounds crazy maybe or doesn't. I think I stopped drinking milk when like 11 year old girl started like getting breasts. I was like, I think there's something wrong. And I just, seriously, I was like, I don't know what they're doing, but I don't want to be involved anymore. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, I. I really don't know what's happening, but I'm, I'm getting out of this and I feel like that was 20 years ago. One percent low fat, two and a half grams, two percent low fat, five grams whole milk, eight grams. Oh, okay.

[B]

So let's say we're in a one cup portion, right? Eight ounces.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. We need two cups. Oh. See, so when you look at the little Hamburger Helper thing here, which by the way, way to not make it legible on your website, Hamburger Helper, they show you the side of the box, but you know, not in such a way that you can read the numbers. Had to go somewhere else to get that.

[B]

I'm curious, like Hamburger Helper. You brought it up.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I know that you don't eat it in your house.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

So this must have definitely been something that came up enough when you asked for people's ideas, right? Was it like the top thing on a list?

[A]

No, there's two things. It was on a list.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I want to be absolutely clear and I'll say this like this in case she's listening. My wife eats like it's still 1975 every once in a while. So there is always a box of Velveeta Mac and cheese and a box of Hamburger Helper in my house in

[B]

case she gets the anchoring.

[A]

I would say in case the mixture of hormones, stress, anxiety and sadness hit on the right spot on the right day. You know what I mean? And then I hear the box shaking with the dry potatoes in there and, and everything else.

[B]

And you know what's Being created, huh?

[A]

Yeah. A pan that she doesn't clean.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Taking a moment to take a personal shot at my wife during the podcast.

[B]

Oh, that's okay. I won't tell her.

[A]

She's never gonna hear this. It doesn't really matter.

[B]

No.

[A]

All right, let's see. My God.

[B]

My choice would be chocolate, by the way. If it was all that, mine would be chocolate.

[A]

That's in the house, too. Don't worry. Okay, so 120 out of 140 calories a gram of fat, a lot of sodium, 630, 780 milligrams of protein. So I.

[B]

And this is just the mix you're talking about without the addeds, right?

[A]

Yeah, I. I have to go to Walmart. I had to get it back again. Walmart has a good picture of the box. Thank you, Walmart.

[B]

And how much.

[A]

How often do people say that?

[B]

How much ground beef gets added to this?

[A]

Yep, we're gonna go through it right now. The mix itself, 0.5 fat, 700 milligrams of sodium, 28 carbs, 3. Three total sugars, one includes one added sugar, four protein, and. Wow. Let me just tell you the ingredients. Enriched macaroni, cornstarch, salt, enriched flour, modified whey sugar, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, palm oil, citric acid, vegetable oil, yeast extract, garlic, parmesan cheese, annatto Extract.

[B]

Annatto. It actually comes from a plant. It's. So you can buy white and yellow or orange cheddar cheese. Right. The orangey cheddar cheese isn't a different kind of cheddar cheese than the white. It's just got annatto added to it. Typically, some they might use other things in other. But many times places use annatto.

[A]

Can I just say, I didn't annatto that. Thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

[B]

That's funny.

[A]

Yeah, send. Send me out for an Emmy, too. Black pepper, monoglycerides, sodium phosphate, nonfat milk, natural flavors, silicon dioxide. Isn't that silicon?

[B]

It helps, essentially. It's usually used as, like, a stabilizer so it doesn't get like.

[A]

I don't care, Jerry.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It contains milk, wheat, may contain egg, soy, ingredients. Okay, so let's move 28 carbs, 4 protein into the calculator. We're going to use the calculator today on juicebox podcast dot com.

[B]

So 28 carbs and 28 is a serving prepared completely.

[A]

Yeah, we'll get to that. Hold on a second. I don't know if they even tell you that. Like, that's the Thing we're going to have to figure out because sometimes they're very clear about it and sometimes they are not.

[B]

Well, and sometimes packages will actually have. On their nutrition facts panel, they'll actually have a panel of just the nutrition facts for the dry product. And then right next to it, if you look at the label heading, you'll actually see per prepared serving. And that's typically then the column that you want to look at for your total package of information. Besides, at the very top of the label, looking to see what is a serving size and how many servings are there once you prepare the product.

[A]

So help me understand that because I'm seeing exactly what you're saying. Serving size, 1/3 cup as packaged, 1 cup prepared, but then like fat, like it tells me 0.5 grams. Packaged but prepared. It just gives me a percentage. So it doesn't give me a new.

[B]

It doesn't give you a gram number.

[A]

I'm not seeing a new. A new gram number for anything. Like total carbohydrates, 28 packaged, 10% prepared, 12%, but no new. Oh, it's interesting. Well, we're going to add.

[B]

Well, I guess you'd have to add what, 2% to 28, right?

[A]

Yeah, I guess so. But now you're beyond me because I fell asleep in math class in ninth grade. I never woke up again.

[B]

Or, you know, and I'm making an assumption about how to read what they're usually. It's a little bit more explanatory. Again, it's the dry package. And then the next column over is usually prepared per recipe.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It'll usually say per serving, how much carb, protein, fat, sodium, all the in grams. It doesn't usually just have a percent. That's interesting.

[A]

I'm just looking for the instructions now on the box because how much it was on the one thing and now it's on the other.

[B]

Oh, so essentially this label kind of. If it's really only giving you the amount per. You said third cup dry product.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You'd really have to then do the math and say, okay, I'm adding to this two cups of milk. So 16 grams of carb. Right. And all the extra fat and all of the extra protein. Now, I'm also adding to this the. What else did you see?

[A]

Yeah, well, that's interesting because some boxes don't tell you and some do, like even what you're putting into it. Hold on a second. Cheeseburger. And by the way, this is the cheeseburger I brought that up. Right. Hamburger helper helps your hamburger helper make a great meal. It's amazing. I mean, honestly, really think about it. It's absolutely amazing. The guy that wrote it or the woman, let me just say, whoever wrote it must have just sat around for three days happy with themselves when they were finished. I'm possibly the only person who paid attention to it. I don't know about that or not. Remember the, like, the little hand? The Little Chef hand?

[B]

The happy Little Chef hand with the happy face. Absolutely. I remember what that looked like on

[A]

the TV and tell you all about it. It's really wonderful. A huge thanks to my longest sponsor, Omnipod. Check out the Omnipod 5 now with my link omnipod.com juicebox you may be eligible for a free starter kit. A free Omnipod 5 starter kit at my link. Go check it out. Omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox I have always disliked ordering diabetes supplies. I'm guessing you have as well. It hasn't been a problem for us for the last few years though, because we began using US Med. You can too usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514 to get your free benefits. Check. US Med has served over 1 million people living with diabetes since 1996. They carry everything you need from CGMs to insulin pumps and diabetes testing supplies and more. I'm talking about all the good ones. All your favorites, Libre 3, Dexcom, G7 and pumps like Omnipod 5, Omnipod Dash Tandem, and most recently the ilet pump from Beta Bionics. The stuff you're looking for, they have it at usmed888-721-1514 or go to usmed.com juicebox to get started. Now use my link to support the podcast. That's usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514.

[B]

My grandmother, not my mom's mom. My mom's mom did a lot of cooking. My dad's mom did a lot more like packaged stuff. At least once I got to know her and she didn't have Hamburger Helper, she had Tuna Helper.

[A]

Oh, I've seen that, right?

[B]

Oh, my mom would make that the same concept. It just has canned tuna in it.

[A]

Can I tell you when that got made at my house when I was a kid, my expectation was we couldn't afford the hamburger. Like so.

[B]

Oh really?

[A]

Yeah. So can so now you got tuna Helper. It's awesome.

[B]

Maybe that was why it was at grandma's house.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, see, I might be giving you a look into your life right now.

[B]

Fixed in scum. I don't know, maybe.

[A]

That was always my expectation. All right, listen, let's add on to this. I mean, look, we can do it a couple of different ways just so you can get an idea, but you know, you're using how much beef is going in this. Here, hold on a second. This is not easy. Like, I do this live so that people can see, like, they do not make it easy for you. Yeah.

[B]

And if you are the person who wants to be as technical or accurate instead of just saying, I bet it's about 30 grams per cup prepared. That's what I'm going to count. And a hundred percent, if that's what you do and it works out for you, then you continue using that as your strategy. Awesome. But then there are, you know, people who want the fats and the proteins. They want the extra strategy to be able to use things like the assistive navigation device that you've kind of come up with. Right. For bolusing the right way with extended boluses. How much? Why? How much? You know, and then you really do need to be able to break the package down and make all of the facts as accurate as possible for your benefit.

[A]

You know, I just came away from like a, an educational thing that I was doing over the weekend where I just, you know, kept hammering into people like, you know, fat changes your digestion. It's important to bolus for it. You know, know, this is one of those things, all the fat, if you look at the box, there's no fat in this. And if you don't think about the beef and the, and the milk, you know, so look, here's the deal, right? You use a pound of 80% lean ground beef. That's 44 grams of fat. That's it. So I mean, a serving is a cup. I don't know how much beef you're getting in that or you're not getting in that, but the whole can, like you eat the whole box. This is what it is. So I think we're just going to, I'm going to set it up like the whole box and then we'll, we'll do the, we'll do the division.

[B]

How many servings per container does it say on the box? It should serving size.

[A]

A third of a cup is packaged calories. Servings per container for again, they make it really difficult to see the box in a lot of the pictures.

[B]

Because I would expect as a pasta product, most pasta products are one cup prepared. Okay, again, it does say that noodle now.

[A]

Yeah, but it does say that on. Yeah, but you're going to get some noodles, you're going to get some beef, meat, some of the. And cheese, the antidated cheese. I was looking for another pun in there. I couldn't find it, so. All right, so let's do this. So there's 28 carbs in the box. There's 0.5 grams of fat in the box. I'm going to go with 80% lean and say there's, you know, 44 carbs or 44 grams of fat. Fat, yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

In there from. From the beef. But then the milk is going to be. Let's use whole milk at 16 more. Right.

[B]

For whole milk would be eight per one for a cup.

[A]

Excuse me, eight more. 48, 49, 52. We're just going to go insulin to carb ratio. One unit covers 10. Insulin sensitivity. We'll just stick it 50 to 50. Yeah, we'll make the target 90 for this. Nothing on board. Current blood sugar, I'm not even going to put into the mix. Just so we get a number. And if you ate the entire box of this with those numbers, 2.8 up front, 4.84 over eight. It says over eight hours, so. But 7.6 units to cover the entire thing.

[B]

But now this would be the whole box.

[A]

That's the whole box. Right. Now we got to figure out how many servings or how many cups are in a box.

[B]

Well, and that would depend on, I think, the standard box. My expectation would be that the standard box serving would be four or maybe five. I'm thinking about a pound of beef plus the pasta in the box. I would think it would be at least five servings in a box.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Maybe even six.

[A]

So if we divided it by six, it's a lot. It's a. It's a heavy fat, low carb meals. Lower car. It's lower. Lower carbs.

[B]

It's lower carb. It's definitely going to be a lower glycemic as well, with the fat and the protein being heavier parts.

[A]

Well, you know what? Let's do it. Let's just do it. If you ate a quarter of the box, Right. Because that's going to be fairly easy math. It takes the carbs from 28 to 7 and it takes what, the fat down to like 10. Excuse me, 12 and a half. Is that right? 1, 2, 3, 4, maybe. 13, right? Don't laugh at me. I really did fall asleep. I. I didn't. I was tired. You know, it's possible my iron might have been low when I was younger. And now you're. I have a disability and you're laughing at me. I hope you're happy.

[B]

I'm not laughing at you. I promise.

[A]

So then there with the 1 to 10 and 50, it's, you know, it's a couple units because you're, you know, it's. It's just, it's seven carbs and. And 13 grams of fat. Am I right? I have that. Correct.

[B]

How much carb did you break it down?

[A]

I mean, if the box is 28. Oh, you know what we didn't do?

[B]

Prepare.

[A]

No, you know what we didn't do? We didn't do carbs in a cup of whole milk. That's what we didn't do. We didn't think about.

[B]

And there were two cups of whole milk added.

[A]

One. Oh, no, you're 100.

[B]

Right, so 16 grams of extra carb.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Right. No, eight. 12.

[A]

Yeah, so we.

[B]

12 grams per cup. So 12 grams.

[A]

So we need to start over because I feel like a moron. So there's 28 carbs for the box, 24 more for.

[B]

For the milk.

[A]

For the milk. So that's. Now we're to 52 and then no more for the beef. But then that means we also. We only used one cup of milk the first time. So the fat is 44 for the beef and then.

[B]

And another 16 for the milk.

[A]

For the milk. Okay, so 60. Right, right. 44, 54, 60. And the protein stays at 4. Okay, so let's start over again. 5.2 upfront, 5.56 extended 10.76 for the whole thing. Now, to split that into a quarter. I mean, I hate doing math in front of people because it makes me feel stupid. But 15, the fact goes down to 15, right? From 60 if we're going to take a quarter of it and what, 12, 13 for the carbs? Right? 26. Yeah, about that. Right.

[B]

Carbs. Carbs are really low in this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because when you look at the label, it also tells you it's a third cup. It's a third cup dry is 28 grams of carb.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[B]

Like, but it also says that. That as one cup prepared is also 28 grams of carb.

[A]

Nothing seems right about this, is what I'm saying. Like, it all seem. But. But this is my point about doing this live again. Like, if you are Trying to make this for your kid. I 100% believe you're just going to put in 28 carbs, and in 28 carbs is your whole number. And then you're going to break down about how much you think and you're going to end up under. You're going to end up under bolusing for this. Because the thing we haven't talked about is under the category of not all carbs are created equal. This stuff hits hard. Like, you know, it can. Yeah, yeah. For some people. And I mean, if you end up giving somebody a quarter of this, you know, and thinking it's, I don't know, thinking it's going to hit like that, 10 carbs or something. I don't know.

[B]

You know what would be interesting? You know how you brought up macaroni and cheese, but you also brought up the Velveeta macaroni and cheese.

[A]

Go ahead.

[B]

So it's making me think of, I wonder if a cleaner visual might be, does Hamburger Helper have any of the little prepackaged?

[A]

Oh, I don't know if they do that.

[B]

Just curious.

[A]

And maybe they don't because maybe we

[B]

can think about it differently because you do typically have to have the meat added and all the other things. But I'm wondering if they have another packaged product.

[A]

Oh, they do. I found it. Chatty. Don't worry. Okay, here we go. Hamburger Helper singles. I typed in to get the cheeseburger macaroni. It comes in a nice plastic cup so you can throw that in a landfill when you're done. And let's see what's in that.

[B]

I could add other things to that, but I won't.

[A]

Okay, listen, real. Oh, it comes with the beef.

[B]

This is a dehydrated beef.

[A]

It has real beef inside. I don't think they would lie to us. So ingredient specifications.

[B]

I don't even want you to read the ingredient list because I can't imagine how long it is.

[A]

It's extensive. There's a couple of artificial flavors in it. There's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 different oils at least. Maybe it's interesting. There's vegetable canola, soybean, sunflower, palm and or coconut. What are some days? Are they out of one and they just got, ah, extra palm today?

[B]

The other funny thing, I know we always, like, go off the rail, we talk about this kind of stuff, but it's kind of fun having somebody else to actually, like, discuss like this. My consideration is always who's the little, like, scientist? Because that's really.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This isn't a gardener. This isn't a farmer who's outgrowing the best tomato. This is a scientist sitting in a lab trying to figure out do I

[A]

make this taste like beef and. Yeah. Cheese and mix.

[B]

Oh, that didn't taste quite right. So let's add some soybean oil. No, that's not quite right. Let's add a little canola oil.

[A]

I took cooking class like 20 years ago and it was led by a woman whose full time job was that. That's what she did actually. If anyone's listening. Who does that, please come on. I would love to understand that. Oh, seriously. Oh, I really want to find somebody that does that. Can I just read you a review of the please Hamburger Helplessness? It's five stars from Regina. Hey Regina, if you Left this on Walmart.com the headline is not perfect but edible and enjoyable.

[B]

I'd like to know what wasn't perfect given the van that actually quick lunch

[A]

or even a midnight snack. It doesn't really taste like Stovetop Hamburger Helper but is completely edible and enjoyable. Did not boil over like some of the other reviewers said. That person probably prepared it wrong. A little shaming in there for the other person who microwaved the Hamburger Helper cup the wrong way. I liked it and I will purchase it again. It's very well written.

[B]

It is quite well written for a package. But I'm curious the nutrition facts because it is all put together. You have to put nothing in this probably except water, right?

[A]

That did. That does seem to be what's happening here. Do you want to hear a one star review? A salty, mushy, overpriced disappointment. The who wrote the who. This was an absolute failure on every level. First, the taste. Overwhelmingly punishingly salty. There was no pleasant bite or texture whatsoever. Just a homogeneous, sloppy goo. The instructions are a lie. Even following them exactly results in overcooked noodles swimming in a thin yet oddly sticky sauce. Save your money and your taste. Can I just say I'm sorry who the buys this and then expects it not to be something like this?

[B]

Like that is 100% my consideration for one. What did you. What did you expect?

[A]

I mean, what did you. What did you think was gonna happen?

[B]

And then you took the extra time to actually put your thoughts down and

[A]

they're so well written. This is a well thought out review. Terry January 9, 2026 what's up? Oh, if you love messes, this is for you. Do you think they mean the toilet or the cup?

[B]

I think they are referring to the first one who gave it five stars and said, clearly they cooked it wrong.

[A]

Not good. Not much flavor.

[B]

Probably boiled it over.

[A]

Here's my favorite one from Mimi. What is this white stuff?

[B]

That's a good question.

[A]

I read the directions, removed the seal, and the flavor packet filled with water to the line, started stirring the macaroni, and white pieces began to appear. More stirring led to more pieces. I found the inside of the foam cup was coming off. So gross. The cup was. She did throw it away. Good for you, Mimi. Way to make a stand. I so hope that the last sentence that was. I still ate it. It wasn't bad. We didn't do what you wanted to do, though, when we found this. Hold on a second.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I. By the way, I know we keep saying this, but, like, I'm not above this, people in my family. Jenny's not eating this in. You know, you probably have to shoot her to get her to eat it. But, like, I'm saying that, like, I'm sure something like this is in a cabinet downstairs in my house. And I understand being in a rush and trying to make something quickly and everything. I really. I genuinely do do.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

But I still want you to know what it is when you're eating it. We can all agree it's crazy and eat it at the same time. Arden made ravioli the other day, Chef Boyardee. And she took three bites, and she goes, what is this? And I was like, what? She goes, it does not taste like ravioli. And I said, what's it taste like? I'll try it. I came over and I put a couple pieces in my mouth. I said, this tastes exactly like Chef Boyardee ravioli. She goes, but it doesn't taste like ravioli. I said, no, it doesn't, but this is what this tastes like. I said, I know, because I. I was raised on this. These cans were 45 cents when I was a kid. That's, you know, this is what I got. So, yeah.

[B]

Anyway, I remember. What were they? SpaghettiOs.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Meatballs or no meatballs?

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

Jenny, you didn't get the meatballs?

[B]

Oh, God. I think I had the meatballs only once, and literally, I wouldn't eat the entire. I wouldn't eat the rest of it. I was like, I don't know what this is. This is not meat.

[A]

Let me offer the alternative view of that. I thought the meatballs were the best part of the spaghetti.

[B]

Like, give me all the meatballs. I'll get them all.

[A]

I didn't like the sauce in SpaghettiOs. Oh, it was different.

[B]

You know, weirdly, I only had them when I went to a particular friend's house of mine. Her mom was not a cook. She did the best that she could, but she was not a cook. So SpaghettiOs were. Or Mac and cheese out of a box. Those were the typical things.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I was always excited to get the SpaghettiOs. And I always had. I remember as a kid always having higher hopes for what it would taste like the next time I had it.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And it, it never, it never, ever, ever hit for you Better. But I can remember, like the feeling of the noodle, which was very like, was like a rubbery instead of being like a real noodle.

[A]

I mean, if you're a regular, if you were accustomed to a real noodle, you're definitely not getting what you were, what you were hoping for.

[B]

But I think I like. I like the sauce is what I like.

[A]

Oh, you like this? Anyway, look at you. Fancy. By the way, right about now, Rob is editing this and he's saying these are supposed to be short. I know, Rob, I'm sorry, man. Use it as a longer one. Put ads on it and make it a longer one for the week. I don't know what to tell you.

[B]

Jenny eats SpaghettiOs. There you go.

[A]

So I did. I googled Hamburger Helper Pasta Cheeseburger Macaroni. Two ounce microwavable cup. By the way, part of the title is shelf stable nutrition label. And I want to say that this is The Google return AI overview return from it. It says, okay, 220 calories, total fat 4 saturated fat 2 cholesterol 10, sodium 720. But that's a lot of sodium in a little cup. Total carbohydrates 36. Wow. Dietary fiber 1, sugars 5, including 0. Added protein 9. There's a lot of calcium in it, 120 milligrams of calcium. Why does the. What about this shelf Stable. Adding the meat puts the carbs up so much. You understand what I'm saying?

[B]

Well, that's why I think that the breakdown for the boxed product, it cannot be correct.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

The breakdown, it's got to be something. There's something that we did incorrectly in terms of adding because as a comparative product, I'm assuming that this is maybe it's. Maybe the package here is also a little bit more than a cup portion. Once it's cooked, I don't know. There has to be something off about.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The servings in the box that we counted. I'm just trying to think through.

[A]

I'm trying to think.

[B]

My brain, I keep thinking.

[A]

It's fine. We keep going. More carbs than the box prep that. You add carbs to add, add beef to.

[B]

And then protein. How much protein was in the, in the meat? Because there wasn't a lot in the prepared product. Right.

[A]

Four in the box. What about, you're asking about the shelf stable one?

[B]

No, for the box one. There was only four grams per portion.

[A]

Yeah. But there's nine in this. In the whole. In the cup.

[B]

And that's interesting.

[A]

Yeah. So it's just. I, I don't know. I think this is part of this series because I don't know how you're supposed to figure all this stuff out. Also, by the way, when you're making Hamburger Helper, you're making it for one of two reasons. And the biggest reason is probably convenience. And now I'm sitting around like Einstein with numbers floating over my head trying to figure out how to bolus for this thing. I figure you're gonna have to throw in some insulin and you know, see how it goes. And then next time just adjust off the, off your historic number. It's. I'm sure that's how I do it. To be perfectly honest with stuff like

[B]

this is an estimate. Absolutely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's an estimate of. Yeah.

[A]

All right, let's see if we can figure out who wrote the Hamburger Helper jingle before we go. Hamburger Helper helps your Hamburger Helper make a great meal. It's brilliant. It's really brilliant.

[B]

The fact that you have it memorized is hilarious.

[A]

I know the tune. I just want to say I can't sing, but if I could sing, you would know that I, I understand the tune of this and everything. So I asked, I asked our overlords, okay, why would the one cup with the meat included have more carbs in the pasta only box that we add to. And I mean, listen, it says the standard serving size for boxed is 42 grams. Microwave cup is 57. Dry product because you're staring at it. Meat factor. When you make the box, you're adding a full pound of fresh carb free meat. This heavily dilutes the carbohydrate ratio in the fine meal. You get a huge filling portion without the. In the microwave cup. Oh. It says the meat in quotes consists of freeze dried beef bits that weigh almost nothing. Because there isn't much actual meat volume. The vast majority of the 57 gram cup has to be made up of carbohydrate heavy ingredients like the macaroni carb. So this is saying maybe you're getting more noodles than meat in the prepared one because how are they really getting meat in that cup? And maybe you're filling up on the beef in the other one and not getting as many noodles when you scoop the cup out. That's not a crazy consideration.

[B]

No, but not at all.

[A]

Yeah, I thought it was going to be some. I actually thought it was going to be some chemical thing. I really did for a second. All right, ready?

[B]

Cool.

[A]

Classic 70s and 80s TV jingle. Like a lot of famous retro commercial music, the original campaigns, including the famous Hamburger Helper helped her hamburger. Oh, it's help her her hamburger. They changed it to your when they got older because they didn't want to be sexist. But it used to say hamburger Helper helped her hamburger make a great meal slogan were created collaboratively by the Chicago advertising agency Needham, Harper and Steers. Joel Friedman. This ad copywriter penned a massive chunk of the iconic musical Hamburger Helper jingles through the 80s. He wrote the catchy 30 second parody songs for various flavors which usually featured the mascot singing to the camera. Right. The little hand, the glove with the hat on, and Mike Cafeterra. He is the ad executive who invented the singing four fingered white glove mascot in 1977. Originally called the Helping Hand, the mascot is now affectionately known as Lefty. Oh. In 2016, there was a viral rap mixtape of it.

[B]

Of course there was.

[A]

I know. I know Jenny better than all of you. But of course there was means. What in the hell is wrong with everybody? Get a job and stop writing a rap jingle to the Hamburger Helper.

[B]

Go help somebody help somebody instead.

[A]

All right, Jenny, I don't know what we just. Let's. Let's put a bow on this. Oh, so I'm gonna use.

[B]

I think this is the funny. I think this is even better than the McDonald's one.

[A]

I don't know. That McDonald's one was. Was pretty great. Also, I have not been to McDonald's since then. I just want to know. It didn't trigger me into like going to McDonald's, which I was proud of because the other day somebody showed me one of those marshmallow peeps and I thought, oh, I'm gonna have a marshmallow.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

So you get the bot. I mean, listen, also the jingle thing makes a great. Not, not a great meal, but it makes a great point. There are a ton of different Hamburger Helper flavors.

[B]

I'm sure there are. I'm quite sure that they probably also hit most of the traditional flavor preferences. I would guarantee that there's probably a taco e kind of one.

[A]

There's cheesy enchilada. Are you cheating? How did you know that?

[B]

I know. I'm guessing based on the food types, people. I'm guessing there's an Italian one of some kind.

[A]

How about Salisbury steak? Oh, interesting. I could talk lovingly for an hour. Salisbury steak about a hungry man Swanson. Salisbury steak with those fake potatoes in it. I wish you all could have grown up.

[B]

I know you like this.

[A]

I wish you all could have grown up as poor as I was. Cheeseburger macaroni hamburger Help with Salisbury cheesy enchilada. Double cheeseburger macaroni, Double deluxe Beef stroganoff. Cheesy ranch burger, Cheesy Italian shells, Beef pasta, four cheese lasagna. I said stroganoff. I think I might have gotten to the end of it. Oh, excuse me. Tomato basil penne deluxe. Philly cheesesteak, three cheese potatoes, stroganoff. My God, this never ends. How about Jenny Hamburger helper breakfast Cheesy hash browns, Chicken fried rice, ham. They got a whole offering here. Tuna cheesy pasta.

[B]

Do they have like a pad Thai? Kind of. I'm just trying to think of all of the different, like, flavor.

[A]

Tuna cheesy pasta. Tuna creamy broccoli. I bet you there's no broccoli in that.

[B]

Either that or you have to add it maybe.

[A]

Oh, that's interesting. Tetrazzini, Tuna helper Tetrazzini. This goes on forever. Double deluxe Philly cheesesteak deluxe Beef stroganoff. I think sometimes they just write the word deluxe on the box.

[B]

I wonder if it actually indicates a difference, like a fat component that might be added maybe. Oh, like maybe you have to add butter to it or you have to add like heavy cream. You know what I mean?

[A]

I do make it deluxe.

[B]

I would expect it's a little bit more like luxurious to the tongue.

[A]

Did you say luxurious to the tongue?

[B]

I did.

[A]

Stop it. It's ridiculous. Hold on a second. Let's click on double cheeseburger. Cheeseburger Cheeseburger macaroni. Just a minute to see what changes. Total carbs 24. No fat. Unprepared. It looks exactly the same as the other one. So what do you do? Do you put more stuff in it? Hold on a second. Cook the ground meat in a 12 inch skillet. It does say to drain the ground meat. God bless. Stir in water, milk, sauce, mix and pasta. Heat to boiling. Reduce, cover. Yeah, I don't think it's pound. Oh, it just calls for a pound. A half of ground beef instead of a pound and three and a third cups of milk. So it's the lux when you put more stuff in it. So that means I could just buy. If this is more expensive than the

[B]

regular one, then you might as well just look at the recipe and take the recipe and add. Add it to the regular scam.

[A]

If that's. If that is. Oh, brilliant. People. People know how to steal your money, don't they? That's a thing for sure. All right, Jenny. Well, I gotta tell you, as I've said previously, I've grown up very poor. I could never get Hamburger Helper. I can't get it down like it make. The smell of it hits me right in the pit of my stomach. I can't get. I can't get close to it even. So on Hamburger Helper nights. Oh, this is gonna get sad. They made me eat like leftovers or like they wouldn't cook me something else or if I. And if I didn't want any of that, I just didn't really get dinner.

[B]

So anyway, you couldn't make yourself a peanut butter sandwich.

[A]

I don't like.

[B]

On your white bread.

[A]

I don't like peanut butter.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

No, I would usually do.

[B]

You didn't know that.

[A]

Yeah, I don't like peanut butter. And I would probably tell you I probably haven't had a tablespoon of it my entire life. In total. Totality. Wow. I don't. There's something about the thick grittiness of it. I don't. I. I'm not interested in.

[B]

That's okay.

[A]

Yeah. Anyway, left out a lot of candy bars when I was a kid, I'll tell you that much. Because they all had this peanuts in them.

[B]

Peanuts.

[A]

I also don't like when you bite a peanut. That dry feeling that they have. Oh, you know how they mash dry in your teeth. Oh my God. I'm going to go now before you start judging me. Goodbye.

[B]

Okay. Goodbye.

[A]

This episode is brought to you by Omnipod. Would you ever buy a car without test driving it first? That's a big risk to take on a pretty large investment. You wouldn't do that, right? So why would you do it? When it comes to choosing an insulin pump, most pumps come with a four year lock in period through the DME channel and you don't even get to try it first. But not Omnipod 5. Omnipod 5 is available exclusively through the pharmacy, which means it doesn't come with a typical four year DME lock in period. Plus you can get started with a free 30 day trial to be sure it's the right choice for you or your family. My daughter has been wearing an Omnipod every day for 17 years. Are you ready to give Omnipod5 a try? Request your free starter kit today at my link omnipod.com Juicebox terms and conditions apply. Eligibility may vary. Full terms and conditions can be found@ omnipod.com juicebox find my link in the show Notes of this podcast player [e-mail] Arden has been getting her diabetes supplies from USMED for three years. You can as well usmed.com juicebox or call 888-721-1514. My thanks to USMED for sponsoring this episode and for being longtime sponsors of the Juice Box Podcast. There are links in the show notes and [e-mail] to USMED and all the sponsors. I can't thank you enough for listening. Please make sure you're subscribed or following in your audio app. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. My Diabetes Pro Tip series is about cutting through the clutter of diabetes management to give you the straightforward, practical insights that truly make a difference. This series is all about mastering the fundamentals, whether it's the basics of insulin dosing, adjustments or everyday management strategies that will empower you to take control. I'm joined by Jenny Smith, who is a diabetes educator with over 35 years of personal experience, and we break down complex concepts into simple, actionable tips. The Diabetes Pro Tip series runs between episode 1000 and 1025 in your podcast player or you can listen to [e-mail] by going up into the menu. If you're looking for community around type 1 diabetes, check out the Juice Box Podcast. Private Facebook group juice box podcast type 1 diabetes but everybody is welcome. Type 1 type 2 gestational loved ones it doesn't matter to me if you're impacted by diabetes and you're looking for support, comfort or community. Check out juicebox podcast type 1 diabetes on Facebook. If you have a podcast and you need a fantastic editor, you want Rob from Wrong Way Recording Listen. Truth be told, I'm like 20% smarter. When Rob edits me, he takes out all the like gaps of time and when I go and stuff like that and it just, I don't know man. Like I listen back and I'm like why do I sound smarter? And then I remember because I did one smart thing. I hired [e-mail].