CONSUMER REPORT-- Ready for the breakfast edition of "Eat This, Not That"?
Consumer Reports’ food experts tasted 48 breakfast items and collected nutrition data, looking for healthier AND tasty options.
Consumer Reports checked out the offerings at six popular chains, tasting 48 items that stood out on the menu as better choices, including sandwiches, oatmeal, smoothies, and other morning favorites. And they analyzed the nutritional information.
It can be tough to find items with lower amounts of fat, calories, sugar, and sodium.
Quick breakfast sandwiches can span the nutrition spectrum.
The Starbucks Chicken, Sausage and Bacon Biscuit has over 1,100 milligrams of sodium. A better sandwich choice would be Panera Bread’s Avocado, Egg White and Spinach on a sprouted grain bagel flat, with nearly half the sodium. Our tasters found it fresh tasting and flavorful.
More and more chains now have oatmeal as an option. These whole-grain breakfasts can be a great source of antioxidants and dietary fiber. But watch out for added sugars. The best ones are unsweetened oatmeal with toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, and raisins.
CR says that if you have to grab and go, there are good choices available, and you can upgrade almost anything you pick. Consider choosing multigrain bread over a croissant. And have your egg sandwich without the bacon or ham.
Research shows that people who eat breakfast have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes than people who skip “the most important meal of the day.”
Consumer Reports lists what they call “Breakfast Bombs” that may blow your nutrition budget in one sitting:
McDonald’s
The Big Breakfast with Hotcakes weighs in at 1,350 calories, 65 grams of fat, and 2,100 mg of sodium—close to the daily recommended maximum.
Dunkin’ Donuts
At 700 calories and 1,120 mg of sodium—49 percent of the max amount you should have in a day, steer clear of the sausage, egg, and cheese on a (high-fat) croissant.
Au Bon Pain
Two eggs, sausage, and cheddar on an Asiago bagel clocks in at 660 calories, 1,140 mg of sodium, and 16 grams of saturated fat—80 percent of the max most people should get in a day.
Panera Bread
A spinach and artichoke soufflé may sound healthy, but it has 33 grams of fat (19 saturated) and 890 mg of sodium.
Jamba Juice
A large banana berry classic smoothie has a whopping 106 grams of natural and added sugars.
Starbucks
The chicken, sausage, and bacon biscuit has 1,160 mg of sodium.