I really tried to like Hamburger Helper, I have tried almost all of them at least twice, I can't get past the taste, they are not for me, or my family and thankfully so. Hamburger helper is highly processed (as is anything else that comes with a "flavoring packet") and while it isn't as bad as a Carmel cake, it's not doing you any favors.

For me, I can't get past the after taste in my mouth, its similar to a cheesy chemical, dried out pasta flavor. I even cooked the pasta separately and really rinsed it to try and get the salt taste off, it didn't make much of a difference

You can usually find these pretty cheap at the grocery store, and for 'once in a while' its okay for a quick dinner option once you get past the lack of nutritional value and fake pasta ingredients, you might not mind the taste, and your kids will probably like them. Give it a try but stay clear of the 'tuna helper' , yuck!