McDonald’s Oatmeal Taste Test

Mr. Lazy Cook went out for breakfast this morning. John and I thought we ought to give you a rundown on Mickey D’s latest offering.

Instant review for those of you with low impulse control – it’s really good. It tastes great. I liked their mixture of textures in the raisins, chopped up apples, and cranberries. I think this complex texture adds a lot to the enjoyment, not to mention the combination of tastes, too. It also provides two out of three recommended whole grain servings and a healthy amount of all natural fruit.

The oatmeal itself was also nicely prepared, not too mushy which turns off a lot of folks.

For you Do It Yourselfers, I wrote up my own oatmeal recipe last April which is also non-mushy.

A couple of further notes on this excursion. First, I don’t like fast food places and rarely patronize them. If this seems a contradiction for Mr. Lazy Cook, it isn’t. I spend little time cooking, but I fix healthy stuff and love my simple recipes. As far as Mickey D’s goes, the only thing I ever order there is the fish sammy because I am a sucker for battered fish. And, of course, their unbelievable fries. I never liked their burgers.

On the positive side, I think Mcdonald’s should be applauded for this oatmeal offering. I liked everything about it. I have no problem with some brown sugar on it, but they give you the option of getting it without brown sugar if you are so inclined. This is a very health-conscious offering and I hope that folks will patronize them for it. The Fruit & Maple Oatmeal is offered all day and there is no reason you can’t have one for lunch or even dinner except your own possible prejudice against oatmeal for other than breffy.

Additionally, my placemat had a big picture of the new Oatmeal offering on it, but, the best thing was in the corner it said, “Turn it and Learn it” Nutrition info on reverse. Sure enough, the other side of the sheet carried a full nutritional breakdown of their offerings separated by type, so you could find what you were looking for without a lot of effort. They have to get high marks for this, too. They aren’t hiding the info from us. I think McD’s has put the nutritional ball into the consumer’s court.

Keep in mind that Mcdonald’s is a business and your input is your purchases. If folks buy the oatmeal and healthy salads, you can count on McD’s offering more like that.

BTW, had a nice cuppa Joe there, too. Pleasantly surprised to get good coffee at McD’s.

The last element of this excursion that I want to mention is that I walked there. I live in downtown Chicago and there is a McD’s around 1.5 miles from my place. I chose to walk for the exercise and calorie burn. Granted, I am retired and time is not an issue for me. But, you can make decisions like that, too. How about getting off the elevator a couple of floors early and walking up (or down)? Very nice little exertion for the old ticker. Or, walk to and/or from the office to the train stop. Think about it, there are a number of ways you could add some steps to your day. It couldn’t hurt. Don’t forget that walking is weight-bearing exercise. It strengthens your bones.

Nutritional breakdown: 280 Calories. Total fat 4 grams, Saturated fat 1.5 grams, Cholesterol 5 mg, Sodium 135 mg, Carbohydrate 57 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 5 grams.

Tony