McDonald's Fruit and Maple Oatmeal

I go to McDonald's for one thing: the McGriddle. It's both paradoxical and frightening; where else can one consume three different breakfast products in one compact sandwich? Why would someone eat something like that before they were about to start their day, versus end their life?

It's my favorite. So when I went into McDonald's this morning with Dillinger and Swagger for a McThreesome of oatmeal courtesy of their lovely PR department, I was a little confused when I sat down to eat. Something's not quite right, my subconscious whispered. This isn't fried. There's no grease dripping down your hands, nor a hint of peppery sausage goodness tucked into the folds of a square egg. What...is this?

It was oatmeal. And pretty good oatmeal at that. For $1.99 McDonald's customers can now brave the cold without adding on excess blubber by ordering this. It's plain oatmeal with brown sugar, apple chunks, raisins, and cranberries, and to my surprise, I found myself liking it.

Thankfully, the oatmeal is not oriented for a fast food consumer. That is, they haven't felt the need to change it to adapt for a coronary conscious audience. And that's a good thing. This tastes just like oatmeal I'd make at home, with the added benefit of fresh fruit and the option of getting other toppings I might not normally have on hand. I was especially impressed with the fruit. The apple chunks were plentiful and crispy, as though they'd been recently made to order for my dish, and there were enough raisins and cranberries to get a few in each bite. They were chewy and flavorful.

The oatmeal itself is nice and solid with that rib-sticking feeling you want in oatmeal. I found it pleasantly sweet without being sugary and cooked to a state of soft, creamy mush. Just the way I like it. What I didn't understand was how the entire thing came out to 290 calories. With all the toppings, the oatmeal is 252g. I can make the same amount of oatmeal at home for about 200 calories using the same ingredients. Swagger's guess was the sugar- a whopping 32 grams doesn't exactly equate to health for me.

That being said, I'd order this again if I were to go back to McDonald's for breakfast. But only if I didn't have anything to make oatmeal with at home.