Monday, September 8, 2008

Starbucks' Perfect Oatmeal?

The other day, I hit up my local Starbucks for a frap-frap (yeah, I've got a nickname for Frappucinos) and saw that they are now selling oatmeal. Or, I should say, Perfect Oatmeal. I'm a sucker for new things - especially if they are supposed to be better for you. So, I decided to grab a bowl to go.


I had three choices of accompaniments for my oatmeal: dried fruit, brown sugar, or a nut medley. I chose the dried fruit, you know, to give the oatmeal some color.

oatmeal, unfettered

oatmeal, post dried fruit topping

Now, I'm not sure I would go so far as to say perfect. But, for a place that is essentially serving food fast (read: fast food), it is pretty damn good. I've had clumpy, congealy oatmeal from fast food places before and this is not that. Yeah, I'd eat it again.

Plus, it's nice to see a snack on the Starbucks menu that isn't crazy high in calories. The plain outmeal has 140 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. Compare that to a Starbucks blueberry muffin that has 360 calories and 10 grams of fat or a cinnamon scone, which has 500 calories and 19 grams of fat.

Okay, that isn't totally fair to compare oatmeal to a delicious, delicious scone. I mean, if I had my druthers, I would totally scarf up a cinnamon scone and then burp heartily. But, you got to eat responsibly most days, right?

20 comments:

ETK said...

Oh yum! that looks delish, and how perfect!!! I will run by S'bux tomorrow to check that out.

Glue and Glitter said...

Is there any dairy in it? I'd love to find a vegan snack at Starbucks, since right now they don't have much I can munch on.

GrabMoL said...

Good point on the vegan-friendly snacks, Becky. It didn't taste like there was milk in it and I just checked the ingredients and it looks like it would work just fine as a vegan snack!

Anonymous said...

Are you people serious?! You can't make oatmeal at home and put it in a cup?! It's water and oats!!! I bet you could make enough oatmeal to last a month with however much Starbucks is charging you for one serving.

GrabMoL said...

Oh goodness, Anonymous! You sure take things seriously. Perhaps I should stop talking about anything and everything that could possibly be made from home?

Nah, I just have too much fun making people like you squirm! :)

Hotmess said...

You know, I read about this prior to the launch of the new product line and I had to say that I was excited about the thought of a healthy line of breakfast items at SB. I tired it an enjoyed it at as well, coming from an oatmeal fan. I could eat it every morning however I still can't justify the price - its still JUST a pack of Quaker Oats, lol, just in a fancy little tub ;)

GrabMoL said...

Hotmess - I totally agree. But, it is nice that Starbucks to nosh on that isn't 300 calories. So, if you happen to be in there and hungry, you can eat something healthy and not worry about an awful sugar crash later!

Anonymous said...

Glue&Glitter- According to Starbucks' website, the oatmeal contains calcium carbonate. Usually it is considered vegan, but it can sometimes come from oyster shells depending on the manufacturer. Either way, it's not an allergen if that is your main concern.

GrabMoL said...

Good to know! I guess, G&G, the only way to know for sure is to contact Starbucks directly.

Anonymous said...

i decided to google the perfect oatmeal that i'm eating to see how many calories it has, and i stumbled across your page. the lady gave me all 3 of the toppings, and i put all 3 in. of all 3, the brown sugar has the least calories, and it tastes the best. next time i'll probably save the dried fruit for a snack and just put nuts and sugar. you should try it like that :)

GrabMoL said...

Hey Jennifer! You're not alone in finding my post on the Starbucks oatmeal - a lot of people have searched Google about it and wandered over here!

I've had the oatmeal a few more times ever since I wrote about it originally and, I agree with you, the brown sugar topping is the way to go!

Anonymous said...

I usually request a packet of honey for my topping.

Leslie Richman said...

Yay! I'm glad I found your blog. I was wondering about the vegan-ness of the oatmeal too (got a free coupon!) and landed here. I'm adding you to my blog list :)

GrabMoL said...

Hey Pixiepine,

Yay! I'm glad this post led you to our blog! I do try to be very mindful of the vegans in the crowd when talking about food, as I used to be one and still really enjoy vegan foods.

Let us know if you have any suggestions!

Anonymous said...

i am a vegan as well and even though i hardly go to starbucks (only when i fly) im please that they finally have a vegan friendly option. i was in london two years ago and they had a vegan pita sandwich that was awesome. so its good tha the states are finally catching up.

and they gave me a compostable spoons. at least the starbucks i was at used them.

Carl said...

I just Googled Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal (yeah, this is what I apparently do at 3 AM on MLK Jr day) and was pleased to see this entry was the sixth result.

Love2Teach said...

You guys are right that it IS just instant oatmeal, but can't wait to use my free coupon to try it tomorrow! After that, I'll continue making my own at home, but it's nice to know it's a healthy "fast food" option!

Mare said...

They have the stainless steel 10oz oatmeal containers - the bronze ones are currently on sale - I bought one for $7.99 at the register but they were not yet marked down. Makes bringing your own from home easier.

Anonymous said...

I discovered the Starbucks oatmeal while traveling on business, and loved it. It's a lot less expensive than what you'll pay for breakfast in your hotel anyway, and it's a guilt-free alternative to grabbing a muffin or scone while on the road.

I mash all three topping options in (only have of the brown sugar though), and it easily carries me through the morning.

Anonymous said...

The 140 calorie info refers to the dry oatmeal with no milk, fruit, nuts, or sugar added. I read on a nutritional site that Perfect Oatmeal--with at least one of the toppings--contains 462 calories, about 300 mg of salt, and 49 grams of sugar. The dried fruit itself has sugar added to it. That's a lot of salt, sugar and calories, and not a lot of nutrition, in the end.