Long known for their detrimental, yet tasty and convenient food, fast food companies have had a run on the food-on-the-go market for decades. Slowly over the past few years, even these mega billion dollar companies have stopped to listen to the consumers. The consumers that don’t want to induce a heart attack with one triple-stack bacon cheeseburger and a mega-sized order of fries. Consumers that want something even just a little bit healthier.
Ever so slowly, healthier options have been popping at fast food restaurants across the nation. Apple slices instead of fries for kids’ meals, yogurt parfaits, fruit cups, and salads galore.
And now, in an effort to keep up with the ever popular Starbucks, McDonald’s has added something to their menu they probably never could have imagined when they first dreamed of selling cheap burgers, fries, and shakes.
What is it?
Oatmeal.
Yup, oatmeal.
Good job McDonald’s. Way to step up.
Or did you?
Oatmeal, one of the purest ingredients out there- it’s just simply whole grain oats, after all- has been turned into a mystery bowl of strange ingredients and unimaginable amounts of sugar.
McDonald’s calls their oatmeal “wholesome”. Mark Bittman, a foodie’s icon, calls it a disaster.
One serving of McDonald’s oatmeal contains more sugar than a Snickers bar.
It has more calories than a cheeseburger or an Egg McMuffin. Even without the brown sugar, it has more calories than a hamburger.
McDonald’s lets you believe you’re simply getting 4 ingredients:
oats, raisins, apples, and cranberries
If you’re a stealthy investigator, you might notice it’s served with cream, but there’s really no reason to think you’re about to order a catastrophe in a bowl.
Just 4 ingredients? Wrong. 21. I bet you can’t pronounce half of them.
The real skinny on McDonald’s oatmeal? 290 calories, 32 g of sugar, and 4.5 g of fat.
Did I mention it costs more than a double cheeseburger?
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{ 8 comments… read them below or give a hoot }
Thanks for this! One thing that really gets me going is big corporations who take advantage of and actually PERPETUATE consumer ignorance. The only way to stop them is to educate ourselves and STOP BUYING BAD FOOD. Thank you for today’s lesson!
This. Is. Amazing. This will blow up in their face for sure. Just goes to show you, being honest with your consumers is the way to go. Trying to trick them by marketing something as “healthy” when it is not will only backfire. Karma is a b*tch!
I knew it! It looked and sounded too good to be true. Why do they insist on adding so much more fattening and unhealthy junk to something so wholesome and naturally good? It drives me so crazy! This needs to be blasted from the rooftops! 32g of sugar??? Can anyone say ADD? Good grief! I don’t eat that much sugar in one day!
Part of me wants no one to buy it, but that happens, McDonald’s will just say, “See, no one really wants to eat healthy meals.” It will be completely misinterpreted. Healthy foodies need to speak up and blast McDonald’s in writing and in person about this! let them know the real reason they refuse to eat it.
I’m still fuming!
Are you kidding me?! That is so so sad. SO many people will be taken in by the advertising.
Wow. Had a baby 4 months ago. Have been trying to loose weight. Thought I was doing myself a favor by having this oatmeal EVERY morning!!!! No wonder I’m not loosing weight. Thanks for this post. I will NEVER buy one again.
I heard they were doing oatmeal but hadn’t looked into it yet. What a hot mess and people will think it’s healthy because it’s oatmeal, not taking the time to see what else is in it. That’s why I hardly ever eat anywhere but home anymore.
p.s. I found you by way of SITS and am a new follower. Nice to meet you and I look forward to reading more on your blog
Really people. This isn’t that bad. At least it’s filling and should prevent you from eating for a few hours. You can’t just look at the 32g of sugar and call it bad. In the end, if you don’t like it… don’t eat it. I will continue because it’s not a bad option when you’re on the go.
I should have added, it’s 32g sugar AFTER the maple brown sugar. So, don’t add the sugar and it’s 19g sugar; 230 cal; and 2.5g fat. It has protein, fibre, and vitamin C, calcium, and iron. I wonder how many of the above complainers eat worse things for breakfast (or nothing). Probably most.