Would Amanda Eat It? Jamba Juice Oatmeal Edition

Oh, Jamba Juice.  My main memories of you involve being in college, trying to fit in with the older girls in my sorority house by getting those trademark white styrofoam cups filled with Orange Blast or Berry Dream or whatever the smoothie du jour was around campus…

…but let’s be real.  Back in 2000, Jamba Juices were basically giant milkshakes disguised as “healthy” choices because you could get a fresh wheatgrass shot on the side (or one of the many vaguely-named “boosts”).  My favorite one (not being a fan of all things green back at that time) was something called Peanut Butter Moo’d, which contained a whopping 770 calories and 109 grams of sugar – and not a single vegetable.

Fast forward to today’s “modern” JJ stores, where there are definitely menu choices that fall on the right side of the healthy divide (still alongside the “classic,” more-like-a-milkshake items).  A TFB reader asked specifically about the oatmeal and the cold pressed juices, but since I’d already done a piece on cold pressed juice, I figured I’d just attack the oats.

The good:

• steel-cut oats are the healthiest form of oats you can eat
• there’s only 180 calories (pre-toppings), which is totally reasonable for a small meal or snack
• the bowl contains 8g of protein, which is more than you get from a hard boiled egg

The bad:

• could we do without the 5g of soymilk-based sugar?  Yes.
• could we also do without the 35g of carbs (about as much as two slices of bread) first thing in the morning?  Sure.
• again, water would be a healthier (if blander) choice than defaulting to soymilk

The verdict:

• hell yeah Amanda would eat this – and can’t believe I never have!  I avoid Jamba Juice like the plague because of the high-calorie smoothie options, but knowing this oatmeal is available (along with a TON of fresh fruit topping options) all over the U.S. makes me happy – I now have another “go to” for a healthy meal/snack in a pinch

The alternative:

• guys, other than just making a bowl of steel cut oats at home and saving yourself a few bucks, this is already a great on-the-go option just as-is!  No need for alternatives here – this is the real deal.

You’d think this was a sponsored post – but it wasn’t!  I just love what Jamba Juice is doing with their healthier options and applaud them for making an oatmeal that is just that – oatmeal (unlike the horrific sugar bombs over at McDonald’s…).

What’s your breakfast grab-and-go?  Are you an oatmeal person?