Muesli is a great breakfast choice because it contains some of the most nutrient-dense food you can eat.
In our home we want muesli with lots of grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. These ingredients are full of fibre, antioxidants, protein, and healthy fats. They are also low GI, which means that the energy release of these foods is more sustained over time.
Our way to enjoy rich and organic muesli is to make our own!
The richness and diversity of our diet determines the richness and diversity of our gut microbiome, and this is key to a strong immune system. Our gut microbiome also communicates with our brain, which means that a healthy gut boosts our mood.
You can buy rich, organic muesli at your local health food store, but it’ll come at a steep cost. Affordable muesli from the supermarket is much more plain, and it usually contains unnecessary saturated fats and processed sugar. Check the back of your packet! Even the simplest, most wholesome looking muesli can have added oil and syrup.
Our way to enjoy rich, organic, and affordable muesli is to make our own.
It is so easy.
Method
Muesli is like soup. Learn the general rule and you can create lots of different variations, adding even more diversity to your diet each week.
The rule we follow is 4:1:1. That’s 4 cups of grains to every 1 cup of nuts and seeds and 1 cup of dried fruits.
1. Choose your grains
We're using oats and puffed buckwheat at the moment - a ratio of 2:1. I'm excited to try adding quinoa to our next batch.
2. Toast your grains
Spread your grains on a baking tray and grill them in the oven at 180C for about 10 minutes, until they’re a little bit crunchy. We leave the door of the oven open slightly to make sure they don’t burn, and we mix them around a bit at the half-way mark. We don’t add any oil or sweeteners.
3. Choose your nuts and seeds
Last week we used ½ a cup of almonds, a ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds, an ⅛ cup of chia seeds, and an ⅛ cup of hemp hearts. We're going to add sunflower seeds next time.
4. Choose your dried fruit
Last week we used ½ a cup of diced dates, a ¼ cup of raisins, and a ¼ cup of goji berries. I also love adding cranberries or diced dried figs.
5. Mix together
Mix your nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and toasted grains together.
6. Add anything else you like
We like to add some cocoa nibs and coconut strips to our muesli as well. Some people add spices like cinnamon, or a pinch of salt.
Suggestions
In winter I love to heat a ⅓ cup of muesli in a saucepan with equal parts water and plant-based milk to make a delicious porridge. I also add a teaspoon of extra chia seeds or flaxseeds because they absorb the moisture and make my porridge even creamier!
Try mixing a mashed banana or grated apple into your porridge for extra sweetness. If you want to add spices, a pinch of cinnamon, cardamon, turmeric, vanilla, and/or ginger is a great place to start. I love to serve my porridge with a dollop of nut butter, some toasted sunflower or sesame seeds, or a berry compote made from cooking frozen berries in a splash of boiling water (usually it's all of the above!).
