Oatmeal – Known to be one the best choices for breakfast. Has recently been trumpeted by the fast-food industry as evidence of their attempts to present the public with “wholesome” food. Once gain, BUYER BEWARE!!
We all know oatmeal’s health benefits. It is known to
- Reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol without lowering HDL (good) cholesterol
- Fight heart disease
- Have cancer-fighting properties
- Slows down the digestion of starch which then prevents a sharp rise in blood sugar
- Be a good source of protein
So when McDonalds recently started serving oatmeal it perked a few ears up. In a recent article in the New York Times, Mark Bitman attacks Mickey D’s pointing out how they took a natural meal item and added their own ingredients. This more than doubled the calorie, fat, carbs, cholesterol, sodium and sugar content in comparison to natural instant oatmeal.
Several months ago Starbucks rolled out their oatmeal. After reviewing their nutritional information what we found was that as long as you don’t add any of the items they also give you (in separate pouches) then they are very comparable to the natural oatmeal you should be eating. The troubling part about McDonalds is that they don’t give you that option.
So as always. We all have decisions to make. What are you going to decide to put in your mouth for breakfast? What healthy alternatives have you found? How do you spice up your eating plan?
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Marcia Reynolds
A little bit of cinnamon and a few drops of Stevia takes the blandness out of my oatmeal. Sometimes I’ll put some slivered almonds in for protein.
longevitypt
Great idea Marcia. And Stevia is a really good sugar substitute!
Doug
Caloric content is only one aspect of nutrition.
McDs dessert oatmeal provides 250 calories of potential energy – but next to nothing in actual nutrition – micronutrients, enzymes, etc…
longevitypt
That’s right Doug and we all know what potentials worth equals without substance