Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Golden Arches Does it Again!!

I felt the need to veer off from our normal great topic of NYC and touch on a different subject. I decided to use my free coupon this week to try the new McDonald’s oatmeal.  I was hesitating because mostly anything they try to make healthy, ends up not healthy. I gave it a shot….it looked good..apples, cranberries, maple syrup….the taste wasn’t bad. I actually didn’t think it was that sweet myself….there was also cream in it which I knew that was not a positive. I really did like my homemade one better.

Then I saw in the NY Times an article by the great food writer, Mark Bittman, and my fears were justified. You can read the whole article HERE but basically they have taken one of the most healthy foods you can eat and make it very unhealthy. Mr. Bittman states in his article that this oatmeal has more sugar than a snickers bar and ony 10 fewer calories than a MacDonald’s cheeseburger or Egg McMuffin. That is just plain sad and wrong in every way.

I was told long ago the only oatmeal you should eat is the Old Fashioned kind not the quick and you make it yourself. You can add wonderful flavors like brown sugar, honey, peanut butter, nutella (okay maybe not a lot of nutella but just a bit), dried fruit, bananas, no salt and no preservatives.

I decided to check into Starbucks oatmeal as Mr. Bittman states McDonald’s is trying to compete with them who already serve Oatmeal on their breakfast menu. Well, they sell Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal plain and then you can purchase different toppings for it like a Nut Medley which adds 100 calories. The plain oatmeal is 140 calories (Mickey D’s is 190 solo), 0 sugar (14 for the golden arches and 32 when Cranberry Raisin Blend is added), 105 salt (140 for you know who), total carbs 25g (38 for you know who plus another 16 for that great Cranberry Raisin Blend) ..you get the picture.

McDonald’s does offer the oatmeal without the cream, fruit and brown sugar but I had no idea when I ordered mine and they didn’t offer that to me in the drive thru. Starbucks seems to have a better handle on the oatmeal, although I think you can imagine, if you make it yourself, you would be even better off.

Here are also some alternatives from Mr. Bittman in the NY Times for your oatmeal…CLICK HERE


So in the end, if you care about what you put into your body, forget the McDonald’s bowl of wholesome Fruit and Maple Oatmeal. Buy a box of the Quaker stuff or another similar brand, Old Fashioned Style and give your body the nutrition it really needs. 

I would love to hear your thoughts .............


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5 comments

SoHo Accessories said...

If you want healthy then the steel cut oats are the way to go....also another healthy alternative is oat bran, which they don't serve in any fast food chain.

Sara Louise said...

It is pretty amazing that McD's can make something as healthy and wholesome as oatmeal and turn it into a sugary fattening food. For the calories in their oatmeal, I'll take a cheeseburger instead!

The Single Nester said...

I don't like oatmeal. I did however have very tasty oatmeal in the Hamptons one breakfast. But I would like to try McD's oatmeal. It was mentioned in Weight Watchers however, the calories and sugar content are crazy.

nycstylelittlecannoli said...

That is surprising WW would suggest to eat Mickey D's oatmeal..but then again their frozen dinners are not really good either. I would stick with homemade and I would think fresh oatmeal in the Hamptons would be great!!

Historically Vintage said...

You can't trust Mc'D to look out for your health! They are just looking to appeal to your taste buds/wallet. I make the steel cut for myself because it's the most healthy. My favorite is the old fashioned Quaker oats with cinnamon, raisins and maple syrup!

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