Companies will seemingly do anything to find a new marketing angle. One I’ve noticed recently is targeting different foods for different sexes. A great example of this is an oatmeal put out by Quaker (the oatmeal giant). This oatmeal, which comes in packets like many of their flavored instant oatmeals do, is called “Nutrition for Women.” The marketing pitch is that “Each bowl of Quaker Instant Oatmeal Nutrition for Women combines heart healthy oats and the rich taste of golden brown sugar with a unique combination of nutrients designed to meet a woman's special needs at various phases of her life.” I wasn’t sure what phase of my life I was in, but I am a woman, and I do like oatmeal, so I bought a box of the Golden Brown Sugar flavor. What a mistake.

When I was growing up, packets of instant oatmeal in various flavors (brown sugar cinnamon, apples & cinnamon, etc) was a frequent breakfast.  It was fast and easy to make (all you had to do was add some boiling water), and it was fairly healthy if a bit sugary. As an adult, I switched to regular Quaker Oats that you cook, which have no sugar and are quite healthy and filling for a breakfast.  But sometimes I missed that yummy comforting brown sugar cinnamon taste, so I was motivated to try the Nutrition for Women oatmeal. Another motivation to try it was the fact that one packet contains half the RDA for calcium, and also contains soy protein. On the surface, it looked very good.

But the fact of the matter is that you can’t ignore taste, and this oatmeal tasted horrible. I don’t say that lightly. The consistency was like glue/mucilage. I didn’t know whether to try to chew it or just attempt to swallow it right down. Besides being sticky and having little to no oat flavor or consistency, it had no real brown sugar taste either -- just a sweet aftertaste.

I never usually throw out food, but I couldn’t get a bowl of this down, and I tried on two different occasions. Before I threw out the box, my husband Mark offered to try it as well. Mark is not a picky eater, and is very big on healthy foods (ie: soy products), so I thought there was a chance that he’d like it. Plus, he eats oatmeal every day (and things that I wouldn’t touch - like “Nayonaise”). But even he couldn’t bear to eat the goo and we ended up throwing it out.

Fit foodie bottom line - Do not waste your money or time on this product. Your best and healthiest bet is to make oatmeal yourself from Quaker Oats. If you are pressed for time, get 1-minute oats and cook in the microwave. Like that brown sugar taste? Keep a box around and sprinkle a teaspoon or two on top of your hot oatmeal.