Muesli is a popular choice of breakfast cereal that is made up of toasted or untoasted oats, fruits and nut, most often consumed with milk or yogurt. It may be purchased pre-packaged or made fresh at home. If you'd like to make your own muesli, read on to find out how.
Benefits of Muesli
As well as tasting great, muesli has many benefits including:
- A high fibre content that provides sustained energy, has cardiovascular benefits and improves daily regularity
- Ideal cereal for those on wheat-free diets
- Oat content may help reduce high cholesterol levels
How to Make Your Own Muesli
1. Choose a grain base
All mueslis (toasted and untoasted) consist of a grain base, which is preferably organic. You may like to choose one or a mix of the following - it’s a matter of personal taste:
- Oats
- Rye flakes
- Barley Kernels
- Rolled quinoa
These grains should be used as the main basic elements of the muesli, making up to anywhere between 50-80% of the mix.
2. Select nuts and seeds
The next group of ingredients includes your selection of nuts and seeds, which should make up 30-40% of the muesli. Some popular choices include:
3. Toast it
Toasting brings out the natural oils and nutty flavour of the mix, and adds to the crunchiness that so many of us love first thing in the morning with our breakfast muesli. If you prefer your muesli crunchy, you should toast your nuts and seeds before adding them to the grain.
Before doing so, chop the nuts to your liking, leaving the coconut and almonds that are better left flaked. Line a baking tray with foil and the nuts evenly across it, toasting them under a low grill for 10-15 minutes. Check them regularly to prevent burning, and when your kitchen starts to smell good it is generally a sign that the toasting is complete.
4. Add dried fruit
Lastly, it’s time to add the dried fruit. This should make up 5-20% of the muesli at the maximum. Some popular choices include:
- Dried apple
- Dried apricots
- Dried banana
- Dried currants
- Dried papaya
- Dried pineapple
- Dates
- Prunes
- Sultanas
- Raisins
If you are looking to reduce your calorie intake or are following a low GI diet, you may choose to limit or not at all include dried fruit in your homemade muesli mix. An excessive amount of concentrated sugar derived from dried fruit may lead to a fast blood sugar rush guaranteed to be followed by an energy slump.
When the grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruit are mixed together in a large bowl to your liking, store them in an air-tight container which should be kept in the fridge for extra crunchiness.
Other Muesli-Making Tips
It’s always best to soak your muesli well in water, milk, apple juice or any other milk substitute before eating it. This breaks phytates within the fibre allowing for easier digestion and absorption of nutrients. You may like to soak the muesli overnight or half an hour before eating it.
If you are looking to add a nuttier taste and creamier texture, you may like to add a teaspoon of Tahini to your bowl of muesli.
Nutrient-rich organic honey is the best sugar substitute for muesli if you are looking for a sweeter flavour. It also offers many anti-microbial benefits.
For the elderly and very young, create homemade muesli mixes without the nuts which may be hard to chew and may potentially cause choking.
You can also try this recipe for Bircher Muesli.
Originally published on Aug 17, 2010
