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Ah, food marketing myths. Yesterday we told you about Dannon’s new Activia Desserts (basically, junk food disguised as “healthy” yogurt), and today we’re tackling the first meal of the day. We suppose it was only a matter of time before McDonald’s got around to serving hot oatmeal for breakfast, and damned if they didn’t just introduce their “undeniably delicious oatmeal” to their morning menus at select locations.
Diners can customize their 9.2 ounce serving of fruit and maple oatmeal (with or without diced apples, a cranberry raisin blend, brown sugar, light cream). If you order it with all of the above, you’re looking at 290 calories, 4.5 grams of total fat, 160 mg of sodium, 57 grams of carbohydrates, and 32 grams of sugars. That’s a lot of calories and sugar before 10 a.m. And McDonald’s is marketing its oatmeal as “wholesome” and “100% natural,” which it really isn’t. (The oatmeal contains caramel color, and both the cranberry raisin blend and light cream contain preservatives.)
Granted, this oatmeal is positively breakfast health food compared to a McDonald’s Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle®: With a whopping 560 calories, 32 grams of total fat, 1,360 mg of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, and 15 grams of sugars, it’s a killer.
Still, because we’re skeptical that Mickey D’s actually has put our best physical health interests ahead of its profits, we won’t be placing an order for its “healthy” hot oatmeal any morning in the near future.
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290 calories is definitely not too many calories for breakfast. Your body needs to be fueled in the morning and calories are energy. I usally aim between 280 – 400 calories for breakfast, depending on what my activity level will be that day. But why do people think that calories, carbs and fat are the only important things to consider when defining a food as healthy or unhealthy? In my opinion, the biggest downfall in these past few decades of nutrition is the introduction of chemical additives, artifical sugars, preservatives, etc. I exercise everyday and enjoy all kinds of food that some consider “unhealthy.” We enjoy unpasteurized whole milk, pure and natural butter, local eggs (the yolk’s the best part!), delicous cheeses, real maple syrup, raw cane sugar, etc. in our home and my husband and I are both fit and healthy. But everything we eat is WHOLE FOODS and NATURAL! I eat oatmeal every morning with just whole oats, filberts, maple syrup, salt and hot water. But I certainly wouldn’t pollute my body with McDonald’s oatmeal which contains the following additives (according to their website) that are known to be harmful to ones body : datem, sulfur dioxide (preservative) and caramel color. McDonald’s should not falsly advertise that their oatmeal is “Wholesome.” Yes, the oat grains may be 100% natural, but the public needs to dig deeper and understand the whole picture when it comes to food. Read the ingredients, not just the nutrition facts. You are what you eat. At least eat what nature intended us to.
Haven’t food and health critics been all over McDonald’s to offer more healthy options? Isn’t this a start? I think there will always be people who live by the mantra, “I will never eat (especially not admit to enjoy) anything from McDonald’s.”
Go ahead, don’t buy or eat their oatmeal. They’ll just replace it with those hotcakes and sausages you’ve scoffed at in previous articles.
I don’t get it. Why is this so bad? 300 calories for a meal seems fine. If you ate 6 of these meals a day you’d be at 1800 calories. Plus you have all day yo burn it off
I order the oatmeal PLAIN (no maple flavor, no brown sugar, no cream), and ask for the apples and raisens on the side. I then use only half of the 70 calorie raisens. Sometimes I double the apples. It is delicious and at least an option when running late. Too bad they add modified food starch.
This article is ridiculously stupid. For working people looking for an easy breakfast you could do a lot worse than mcD’s oatmeal…..it’s not that bad especially if you frequently walk/swim/bike/hike. This knee jerk reaction is not helpful…everything corporate is not evil. Get off you high horse.
300 calories is a bit high for breakfast? Are you serious? That’s only 15% of a 2000 calorie diet. Not only that, most of the sugar is from fruit and you can order it without the brown sugar. Your review makes it sound like you might as well eat a bowl of Cap’n Crunch. Give me a break Blisstree.
Well it does have a lot of sugar but if you are on the road and a vegetarian, it might be your best bet for something to eat!
do ppl really count every single little calorie and gram like that!!! it’s not that serious. goodness, iv been fit and healthy all my life and never counted calories EVER. if youre exercising and eating right, you’re okay to eat a blasted bowl of fruit, brown sugar, and oatmeal people!
I tried the oatmeal today – without the cream and brown sugar but with the fruit… it was delicious! really good. I like that there is at least an option like that on the mcD’s menu… even if it may give a false sense of “super” healthy.
Yea except for the fact taht its only oatlmeal who only orders oatmeal when you have a menu of shit in your face the fat bastard will order the “OATMEAL” thinking its healthy with a sasuage egg burrito and probably a coffe with extra extra now whats the calorie count on that? tell me who goes to MC D and orders one thing those guys on the commercial with four quarters in there hands
While I’m not a fan of fast food or McDonald’s – I have to applaud their efforts of going in the right direction. It IS a bit high in sugar, but the calories, protein, carbs is right on point for breakfast. I’m wondering now what you eat for breakfast and consider satisfying enough to get you to lunch. (?) 300 calories (est) + 5 meals = 1500 total … For the average American (even lazy ones) is not too shabby.
I too don’t feel that the calorie count is bad at all. My morning smoothie clocks in at around 350. The only difference is that it is about 70 protein.
Now I would not mind getting this oatmeal after my morning workout and mixing in a little protein powder.
Maybe they could add that as an option. Replace the brown sugar (you will get more then enough sweet from the fruit) with a good protein.
Agreeing with Sara and Megan—290 calories for breakfast hardly seems like “a lot of calories before 10:00 a.m.” I’m a hot-cereal-for-breakfast kind of girl, and my typical bowl (with cereal, fruit, 1% milk, and maybe a light touch of sweetener and/or nuts or nut butter) can clock in between 350 and 400 calories. And that’s before I factor in coffee with half-and-half. Yet I maintain a healthy weight. Of course, it helps that I exercise daily and keep the rest of my meals similarly sized (with snacks to round me out to 1800-2000 calories/day on average).
Of course, my at-home hot cereal is probably healthier than McD’s, since I add milk to get in some protein, and usually fresh fruit rather than dried. And if I use sweetener at all (honey or maple syrup), I use no more than a teaspoon. So, more fiber, more protein, less simple sugar.
Still, the fact that McD’s is offering oatmeal at all seems promising to me, and I hope other fast food chains follow suit. I will probably never go out of my way for it, but if I’m in a situation where I need to grab a fast food breakfast, I’m glad to know that better options are becoming available.
+1 to Sara’s comment. 290 calories for breakfast is NOT a lot. Many studies show that eating a bigger breakfast can actually prevent overeating later in the day. And while the McDonald’s oatmeal breakfast might not be as good as home cooked, it’s still better than an egg & sausage muffin (as you pointed out), donut, pop-tart, or whatever else most Americans grab for their morning meal.
Carbohydrates from fruits are full of fiber and natural sugars, much better than added refined sugar. If you want a quick, less added sugar option, try Tim Horton’s (if you have one in your area). Their plain oatmeal has no added colour or preservative, and for the same size serving has 4 g of fiber and only 4 g of sugar. you can get it with real maple syrup, brown sugar or mixed berries on top. The plain weighs in at 190 calories, Mixed berry is 210 calories and maple is 220 calories. They also cook it up from whole grain oats right in the store – it’s not instant. we’re all busy, and sometimes fast food is a fact of life – not a bad choice for eating on the go.
actually, the amount of carbs is exorbitant, i think. i would get a crazy sugar high with that, followed by a feeling of “yuck” and almost a down or depressed feeling. and wanting more carbs as my pancreas douses me with insulin. so no. and if its mcdonald’s, its gotta be crap! (my personal motto to help me stay away from the “golden arches” siren song)
Hmm. I don’t know about you, but I personally consider under-300 calories to be a perfectly reasonable amount to eat for breakfast, even if you’re on a diet. Certainly I wouldn’t want to eat much less than that to feel fueled for the day and be able to go without being hungry until lunchtime.
And the nutrition facts aren’t so terribly different than when I make truly 100% natural oatmeal for myself at home (1/2 cup pre-cooked oats, cooked in water with 1/4 cup raisins and topped with 1 tsp brown sugar and a couple of tablespoons of nonfat milk) – 279 calories, 3 g fat, 61 g carbs – actually most of the carbs in my oatmeal – and I would assume in McDonald’s as well given the similar breakdown – are from the oats (26 g) and dried fruit (29 g), which I would consider to be good sources of carbs – it’s not like those things are pure sugar! Sure, this might not be quite as wholesome as making it yourself, but it seems like a way better option than ordering something else off the menu or forgoing breakfast all together because one doesn’t have time. Just because it’s from McDonald’s doesn’t make it evil. :)