The benefits of oatmeal abound: it's a good source of fiber, decreases levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol, supports digestive health, helps lower blood sugar, and may even promote weight loss.
But while oatmeal is healthy, the preparation of said oatmeal may not be.
McDonald's breakfast has 320 calories, 4.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 150mg sodium, 64g carbohydrates, 4g fibre, 31g sugar, and 6g protein.
McDonald's Fruit and Maple Oatmeal (with all of the included toppings) will load you up with 64 grams of carbohydrates — equivalent to nearly 4 servings of regular ice cream.
The 64 grams of carbs in this oatmeal is also the equivalent of 2 McDonald's Vanilla Ice Cream Cones! That's the ice cream and the wafer cone!
If we narrow in on the details of those carbohydrates, we start to see the bigger issue: the 31 grams of sugar.
This oatmeal contains a lot of added sugars. Between the brown sugar added to the oatmeal and the sugar added to the dried cranberries, this oatmeal is a sugar bomb in a bowl.
Another reason why restaurant-prepared oatmeal is the worst oatmeal you can eat is because of the highly processed ingredients they use.
Caramel color is an artificial coloring that turns food brown. Popular in sodas, this additive has been linked to an increased risk of developing certain cancers.