We answer 7 questions you had about this healthy food!
Who hasn’t enjoyed a tasty bowl of muesli in the morning? Eaten by millions of adults and children across the world, it’s a healthy and versatile addition to one’s breakfast pantry.
Did you know muesli was invented over a 100 years ago by a Swiss man—Dr. Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner—who used to serve it to his patients before every meal? His recipe was a mixture of oats, fruit, water and lemon juice soaked overnight and served with yoghurt or cream (sounds familiar?).
So what exactly is in muesli that makes it healthy and why do we need it? Here are a few answers to important questions about muesli that we’ve seen milled about (forgive the pun) on the internet.
Top 7 FAQs About Muesli
1. How healthy is muesli? Why eat it at all?
Muesli is a high-fibre combination of cereal grains such as oats, wheat, barley, ragi or similar grains such as quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth.Along with fruits, seeds and nuts, it makes a well-balanced meal of proteins, carbohydrates and micronutrients such as vitamins (think folate, thiamine, riboflavin), macrominerals and essential acids.
These may sound like a mouthful (again with the puns), but think of the last time you stayed tired all morning even after a ‘heavy’ breakfast? Fibre in muesli is the kind that breaks down and releases energy slowly throughout your day, keeping you feeling energetic longer.
2. Can muesli help with weight management?
Muesli can be great when included with your weight management diet. However, many options available in the market may also contain a lot of sugars, preservatives and artificial flavors. Those little extras can seriously throw a wrench into your process. In fact, sugary, preservative-rich foods are a no-go on any day. All in all, the right muesli can be a great addition to your weight loss program.
Our own line of Diet Mueslis has no refined sugar and is a good bet for those who want to cut sugars and artificial ingredients from their diets completely. More importantly, mueslis can help add the recommended 25-30 grams of fibre in your diet every day, which is how you stop craving Madras mixture and pineapple cream biscuits (don’t judge us).
3. Muesli vs. Oats: which is better?
While there’s no faulting a good ol’ bowl of oat porridge, muesli (which also contains oats) is a nutritionally balanced meal with fruit, seeds and nuts. The different textures and flavours in muesli also make it more appetising. We all harbour some residual pain because of that one bowl of bland, congealed oats you had as a kid that not even honey could repair.
4. What is the difference between muesli and granola?
The difference is fat and sugar! Granola is just muesli’s crunchier, clumpier cousin. Typically, they are made by mixing grains and nuts with edible oils (fat) and sweeteners (sugar), which act as binders, and baking them into desired shapes (remember those tasty and nutty energy bars). While addictive, they may not be the best choice especially if you’re trying to cut down on extra sugars or unnecessary fats. Muesli can be a healthier alternative especially if you choose low-sugar varieties like ours. Granola bars can also be heavy on carbohydrates and contain more calorific energy. That’s why they make great snack bars for those who need that extra boost.
5. Can you eat muesli every day?
We’d like to think our mueslis are so delicious and healthy that you’ll WANT to eat them every morning (maybe except on dosa mornings because those are sacred). You can eat it raw, although we recommend at least a tiny dash of cold milk or other liquid to help it go down better. You can also eat it at night if you want a light dinner or an excuse to eat muesli. We even introduced a line of baked savoury muesli that is meant to replace those deep-fried oily snacks that we’re known to binge on.
6. How do you eat muesli and what can you eat it with?
Would you believe it if we told you that you could eat it any way you like? Hot milk, cold milk, yoghurt, water, etc. Depending on the weather we like to switch things up! Ever had warm milk and muesli with hot, stewed apples on a cold morning? On summer days, we like to soak our muesli overnight in milk and enjoy a refreshing chilled breakfast the next day.
The healthiest way to eat it is with some form of probiotics such as yoghurt. Soluble fibre and probiotics work in tandem to strengthen your gut microbiome, a key to great health and general immunity. You can also add chunks of dark chocolate (how decadent!) to your bowl. Our line of savoury muesli can also be incorporated into chaats or served with Dahi, garnished with some fresh coriander leaves and condiments.
7. Which muesli is healthier?
A healthy muesli is one that is well-balanced with oats, grains such as wheat and ragi, nuts, and dehydrated fruit as opposed to candied fruit. It should also contain very little to no added sugars or preservatives. That’s why we love our range of millet-based mueslis. Dried fruits such as papaya, cranberry and apple add some much needed balance and fruity zing to the Fruit and Nut version, while we’ve upped the crunch with lots of almonds and raisins in the Crunchy Millet muesli. Our Diet Mueslis are also a great choice for a no-sugar, no-preservative breakfast!
Well, we hope we’ve cleared most questions about our muesli and its amazing benefits. Join the trend and live healthier and happier!
