It’s no secret that oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. The whole-grain breakfast food is packed with fiber to fill you up and fuel your body for the day. Nutritionists always recommend it as an unparalleled weight-loss food. However, you need to be careful when it comes to instant oatmeal. The same health experts warn that while delicious and easy to prepare, many instant oatmeals are filled with sugar and artificial ingredients that aren’t good for you. Here are the 7 unhealthiest instant oatmeals on grocery store shelves.
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Dinosaur Eggs
Walmart
While it might get your little dinosaur lover hooked on oatmeal, Quaker Instant Oatmeal Dinosaur Eggs is high in sugar with artificial flavors and color additives. The adorable meal offers “4 grams whole grains per serving,” according to the website, but a single serving also boasts 2 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of added sugar.
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Fruit Flavors
Walmart
I love Quaker Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream, Apples & Cinnamon, and especially Peaches & Cream. However, one reason the popular packets are so delicious is that they are filled with more sugar than protein, lots of artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.
Great Value Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar
Walmart
Great Value Instant Oatmeal is basically Walmart’s generic version of Quaker Instant Oatmeal. While budget-friendly, this delicious and easy-to-make breakfast is also packed with sugars, preservatives, and additives.
Kellogg’s Special K Instant Oatmeal
Instacart
You might remember Kellogg’s Special K as being one of the healthier cereal options of your youth. While the Kellogg’s Special K Instant Oatmeal is marketed as healthy, it also contains high sugar levels and minimal fiber.
Market Pantry Instant Oatmeal Variety Pack
Market Pantry
Market Pantry Instant Oatmeal Variety Pack is Target’s in-house brand dupe of Quaker. It has similar flavors to the name brand but also the same artificial colors, flavors, and excess sugars.
Umpqua Oats Instant Oatmeal Cups
Umpqua Oats Instant Oatmeal Cups are made with Certified USDA Organic 100% Whole-Grain oats and no additives or preservatives. However, the healthier oatmeal is still high in calories (280) and has 11 grams of sugar.
Better Oats 100-Calorie Instant Oatmeal
Better Oats 100-Calorie Instant Oatmeal is a low-calorie option, but the branding does not mention that some of the ingredients, including artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aren’t that good for you. “The taste was awful. Im not really sure how they got it to be so bitter. There is a strong fake sugar aftertaste. There are other low sugar or no sugar oatmeals that are much better,” writes a Target shopper.
