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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and experts agree that McDonald’s breakfast offers the healthiest options of the entire menu.
“Since McDonald’s breakfast items are generally your best bet, it’s better to start your day in the drive-thru than to end it there,” Jay Cowin, NNCP, RNT, RNC, CHN, CSNA, of ASYSTEM explains.
Not only do many of these breakfast options provide the least amount of calories (such as the Egg McMuffin with only 300), but eating fast food in the morning gives you an opportunity to burn off the calories and high-carb content all day.
So–which breakfast is the healthiest of the healthiest?
“Breakfast provides you with the energy to tackle your day and kickstarting your metabolism, so one of the healthiest items that I love to get at McDonald’s is Fruit and Maple Oatmeal,” Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, MS, RD, founder of Hispanic Food Communications explains.
McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal
This high-protein, high-fiber breakfast comes with just 320 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 64 grams of carbs, 31 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein.
“At just 320 calories, and 30 less if you skip the sugar topping, you get 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of heart-healthy fiber,” Melendez-Klinger explains.
Plus, there are countless health benefits to eating oatmeal that can support a healthy weight.
To start, it makes you feel full. “Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, which slows digestion and promotes the feeling of fullness both during and after a meal, and has been scientifically-proven to help you feel full between meals and eat a lower-calorie lunch,” Melendez-Klinger advises.
Additionally, it provides a “chunk” of your daily dietary fiber requirement, she explains.
The AHA recommends that women get 21-25 grams/day and men get 30-38 grams/day, and all dietary fiber can support weight loss by filling you up. “Oatmeal is a great source of it.”
Lastly, it provides energy, via high-quality calories, to fuel your day. “Eating sufficient carbohydrate fuels the body and allows protein to be used for other important functions, instead of being broken down for energy,” she explains.
“If you don’t consume the needed amount of carbohydrates, your body can rely on protein for energy, making the protein less available for things like keeping muscles healthy and strong.”
Oats is also nutrient-packed, containing vitamins and minerals like B-vitamins thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and folate, as well as the minerals, iron, zinc, selenium, and magnesium. Wow, that drive-thru breakfast is starting to sound *a lot* better.
