Chef Boyardee and Spaghettios offer convenient canned pasta meals that appeal to children and adults alike.
The ingredients look very similar, and the taste is also pretty similar.
So is there any difference? What sets these two brands apart from each other? Does it even matter which one you choose?
In this article, I will examine what each brand offers and whether one of the two options is the better choice.
Spaghettios
Spaghettios are fun canned pasta products that target a younger audience (look at the Super Mario Bros and A to Z canned pasta).
It all started with the classic Spaghettio pasta: small pasta rings in a rich tomato sauce. These cans were first sold in 1965 (a lot later than Chef Boyardee’s first products).
The idea was to give parents a “smarter” and less messy dish they could quickly serve their kids.
What Products Do Spaghettios offer?
Spaghettios have a smaller product range compared to Chef Boyardee’s pasta selection. Let’s look at five popular options: 
SpaghettiOs canned pasta with meatballs: This is a direct competitor for Chef Boyardee’s pasta and one of the most popular Spaghettio products.
SpaghettiOs A to Z canned pasta: This is like alphabet soup, but with pasta and pasta sauce! A fun product for kids.
SpaghettiOs Super Mario Bros canned pasta: Spaghettios love creating trendy products, and this is one of them.
SpaghettiOs Meatball Football Noodle: This is another product that wants to show how creative you can get with pasta shapes.
SpaghettiOs with sliced franks: If you love sausages, this version of Spaghettios might quickly turn into your favorite.
What Are The Ingredients in Spaghettios?
In this example, I am looking at the ingredients of Spaghettios with meatballs (to compare it to Chef Boyardee’s version below).
The ingredients are:
Water, Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Meatballs Made With Chicken, Pork And Beef (Chicken, Mechanically Separated Chicken, Water, Pork, Beef, Bread Crumbs [Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Dextrose, Salt, Yeast, Soybean Oil], Soy Protein Concentrate, Salt, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Garlic, Flavoring), Enriched Pasta (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese (Cheddar Cheese [Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Calcium Chloride], Water, Disodium Phosphate, Enzymes), Vegetable Oil, Citric Acid, Yeast Extract, Enzyme Modified Butter, Reconstituted Skim Milk, Natural Flavoring, Onion Extract. Contains: Wheat, Milk, and Soy.
Do Spaghettios Have Real Meat?
Yes, there is some real meat in there, but it’s mixed up with a lot of other stuff. Let’s take a look:
The meatballs are made with chicken, pork, and beef. The information in the brackets behind this tells you what this meat mix is made of, which is: chicken, mechanically separated chicken, water, pork, beef, bread crumbs [enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), dextrose, salt, yeast, soybean oil], soy protein concentrate, salt, dehydrated onions, dehydrated garlic, flavoring.
It’s different from what you’d make if you cooked something like that at home.
Chef Boyardee
Chef Boyardee was founded in 1928. The first product the company sold was a “ready-to-heat spaghetti kit.” People kept asking the chef in a restaurant for the recipe for his pasta sauce.
He started distributing his sauce in milk bottles as he did not want to share his recipe. He soon realized that selling his sauce would be a profitable business, and the company was born.
Is Chef Boyardee A Real Person?
Yes, the person you see on the cans is indeed someone who existed in real life. His actual name was Ettore Boiardi, but he became famous under his Anglicized name Hector Boyardee.
Boyardee sold his company to American Home Foods in 1946, and in 2000, ConAgra Foods bought the brand. They still use the image of Ettore Boiardi, who died in 1985, for their products.
What Products Does Chef Boyardee Offer?
Chef Boyardee offers an incredible variety of products in different formats, which can be divided into four main categories: Classics, Mini, Fun Flavors, Pizza & Sauces. Some of the popular products are:
Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs: This is one of the classics – some chunky meatballs with spaghetti in Chef Boyardee’s signature pasta sauce.
Chef Boyardee Cheese Ravioli in a Microwavable Bowl: If you love ravioli but want something a little different, this cheese ravioli might hit the right spot.
Chef Boyardee Mini Beef Ravioli in Tomato & Meat Sauce: Many people remember these from their childhood and are surprised that they still taste the same (we all know brands that constantly change recipes!).
Chef Boyardee Lasagna: This product proves that classic shapes can sometimes come in surprising forms – because who expected lasagna in a can? You’ll either love it or hate it.
If you think all of these sound appealing, then the Variety pack with three packs of four different flavors might be a good option.
What Are The Ingredients in Chef Boyardee?
To compare with Spaghettios above, I am choosing the ingredient list of Chef Boyardee’s Spaghetti and Meatballs:
Tomatoes (tomato puree, water), cooked, enriched spaghetti (water, enriched wheat flour [semolina wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate [Vitamin b1], riboflavin [Vitamin b2], and folic acid], wheat protein isolate [wheat gluten, phosphate, lactic acid], glyceryl monostearate), meatballs (pork, dark chicken, mechanically separated chicken, beef, water, cracker meal (bleached wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soy protein concentrate, salt, caramel color, flavorings, soybean oil, citric acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, less than 2% of modified corn starch, salt, sea salt, dehydrated onions, potassium chloride, hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy protein, and wheat gluten, citric acid, flavorings, ammonium chloride, enzyme, modified cheese (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, xanthan gum), yeast extract, lactic acid, and soybean oil.
Does Chef Boyardee Have Real Meat?
Yes, it does have real meat, but highly processed meat. Let’s stay with the meatball spaghetti and look at the meat included in there: “pork, dark chicken, mechanically separated chicken, beef, water, cracker meal (bleached wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soy protein concentrate, salt, caramel color, flavorings, soybean oil, citric acid.”
This is a mix of pork, chicken, and beef, with loads of other stuff thrown in. It’s nothing like homemade meatballs that only include some herbs, spices, and ground beef!
Comparison Questions (Spaghettios vs Chef Boyardee)
Are Spaghettios Or Chef Boyardee More Affordable?
As you have seen above, the two brands have a pretty different range of products. The fairest price comparison is between their canned pasta with meatballs, often offered in multipacks and single cans.
| Product | Spaghettios, average cost per can | Chef Boyardee, average cost per can |
| Meatball Spaghetti | $1.30 | $1.40 |
When you look at various stores’ prices, Spaghettios are slightly cheaper per can. Other products in the Chef Boyardee range, e.g., the canned lasagna (average of $2.40 per can), are also more expensive than all products in the Spaghettios range.
Which Is More Environmentally Friendly?
Campell’s, who produce Spaghettios, have committed to changing all their packaging to fully recyclable materials by 2030.
ConAgra, behind Chef Boyardee, claims to consider the planet and the brand’s impact and aims to be a responsible corporation.
Both companies are keen on changing for the better in their ways.
Which Is Healthier?
Neither is healthy, even though Spaghettios love to claim that they are healthy food for children. If you look back at the ingredient lists of both brands, you’ll see why healthy is a bit of an over-statement.
Both options aren’t that bad either, though, especially if you add some fresh veggies to turn the cans into a proper meal.
The short of it: If you eat these now and then, you don’t need to worry about your health. They are also acceptable for children – but not as a daily meal!
Which Lasts Longer?
As both companies use similar processes and conservation methods, the best-before dates on their products are the same – generally between 18 to 24 months after the production date.
On the products of both brands, you can find the best before date printed on the end of cans or the bottom.
Once a can is opened, you need to store the product in a different, suitable container (open tin cans are not good for storing food). You must keep the pasta in a fridge and eat it within 2-3 days.
Which Is Suitable For Vegans And Vegetarians?
Some Spaghettios and Chef Boyardee varieties contain meat, so they are unsuitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Other products, like the classic Spaghettios and cheesy varieties, are also problematic because these products contain rennet, which comes from the stomach of animals.
While it may be surprising, neither Spaghettios nor Chef Boyardee have products suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Related Questions
Are Spaghettios Made By Chef Boyardee?
No, Spaghettios are produced by Campbell’s, though it is easy to see why people might be confused.
Campbell’s is better known for its tinned soups; people connect tinned pasta products with Chef Boyardee. So people often assume that Spaghettios are just another product from that brand when they are not.
Can Spaghettios and Chef Boyardee Be Eaten Cold?
Yes, you can – whether you want to is another question and has led to quite a few heated discussions.
Some people love to eat tinned foods like Spaghettios or Chef Boyardee without heating them. Others don’t. It’s really up to you. There are no health risks if you do not heat them, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Even the tins with meatballs can be eaten cold as the meatballs have been cooked adequately in the production process.
Is It Okay To Eat Spaghettios of Chef Boyardee Straight From The Can?
You obviously can’t put the tin into a microwave to heat the contents. Still, as mentioned above, nothing can keep you from eating these cold.
If you want to save yourself some washing up, go ahead, and eat it straight from the tin, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this when you have someone over for dinner or want to give this to kids.
So yes, it’s okay to eat it from the can if it’s just for you – but please serve it properly if it’s meant for others!
Final Thoughts
Overall, the two brands are similar. It is a matter of taste which one you prefer. Some people love Spaghettios and would never touch Chef Boyardee – and the other way around.
The first big difference I noticed is that Chef Boyardee is more specialized in pasta and pasta sauce products. There are many more products in their different pasta ranges.
The second difference is that Spaghettios seem to be targeted toward children and their parents. At the same time, Chef Boyardee is more “serious” with an offering that would appeal more to adults.
