When you’re trying to make good choices at the grocery store, what aisles do you try to avoid? I’m assuming the candy aisle would be the most common answer. The baking aisle is tricky too, there are so many ready-in-a-minute (or two) options there, where you’re actually getting a true dessert out of the deal. The ice cream aisle… we just don’t even need to talk about that. But they’re all so obvious! We can either avoid them all together, or if we absolutely have to go in, we can steel up our hearts to their sugary siren song, usually… But what about the cereal aisle? That’s a safe place, right? Sure sure there are the captain sugar o’s or the chocolate cocoa flakes or the fruity puffs, the pop tarts and the gooey peanut butter double triple chocolate dipped granola bars, but the legitimate stuff, the actual cereal, we can relax there!
You know where I’m going with this, but isn’t it just crazy?? Just a normal sized bowl of a basic cereal like cheerios has about as much sugar as half of a can of soda, even diet cereals like special k have the same amount! So here we are trying to ‘break our fast’, the most important meal of the day, the meal that legitimately does set the tone for how our body will process every other meal we eat that day, and we’ve just loaded ourselves up with sugar and simple carbs (more sugar). So we turn to the hot cereal section, which is equally unimpressive with it’s instant this and pre-flavored that, and we finally settle on plain cream of wheat, and plain oatmeal. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of ways to jazz up cream of wheat and oatmeal, and between that and egg breakfast varieties, we get by just fine! But what about the days when there just isn’t time for all of that? Enjoy your plain apple? Here’s a banana?
Maximilian Bircher-Benner, the Swiss physician who put a large emphasis on the role of a good diet in his patients’ treatments, was the first to come up with muesli in 1900 when he and his wife were hiking the Swiss Alps. He quickly realized its potential when he saw the amount of fiber and antioxidants it delivered in just a small serving. The fiber is especially beneficial to those looking to regulate blood sugar, because it slows down the body’s natural absorption of sugar. The antioxidants bind to free radicals in the body, making them unable to bind to the body, and so limiting the risk of cancers. The nuts deliver an impressive amount of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids in a small package. The addition of oats is especially important for those looking to lower high blood cholesterol and the risk of arteriosclerosis. For these reasons, Dr. Bircher-Benner originally dubbed this filling breakfast d’Spys - which essentially means “The Meal”, and quickly began serving it to his hospitalized patients as part of their treatment plan. Specifically, he would soak the muesli overnight in (unsweetened) fruit juice, milk, or even water, to improve its digestibility, and then serve it over yogurt.
At a glance, you’re looking at some expensive ingredients to make this one come together, but there are a few things to remember that can help you economize this healthy breakfast! First of all, there doesn’t have to be an exact recipe, which really frees you up to use what you have on hand, or what you’re able to find on a budget. Hazelnuts on sale this week? Perfect! Leftover sunflower or pumpkin seeds this fall? Delicious and nutritious! Have a fruit tree or bush with too much fruit to eat in 3 seasons? Dry it down and throw it in! As long as you’re sticking with unprocessed, unsweetened nuts, grains, and fruits, you can’t go wrong!
We’ve come up with a few quick, on the fly breakfasts over the last couple of years, that are yummy enough that the family asks for them even when we’re not on the run. Muesli is the one that always has to be in the cupboard! It’s tasty enough that the whole family will ask for it again and again, and so healthy that you’ll feel great about serving it!
Muesli Recipe:
1 C Almonds
Process in food processor for 5 seconds, and add
1 C Black Walnuts
Process both nut varieties for 10 seconds, and add
1 C Prunes
1 C Apricots
1 C Wheat/Oat Bran
Process whole mixture until fruit is chopped sufficiently into crumbles
9 C Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 C Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 C Raisins
1/2 C Chia Seeds
Add nut/fruit crumble mixture, and all other ingredients to a large bowl. Mix well, breaking up the crumble into desired pieces. Serve with milk or over yogurt. Can add honey, maple syrup, or fresh fruit when serving. Store in an airtight container.
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