Thursday, March 5, 2015

muesli

A Swiss invention, muesli is a cereal type food consisting of rolled oats, seeds, nuts and/or fruit. Similar to granola but, where granola is usually toasted and sweetened, muesli is traditionally raw and non-sweetened ... but then the beauty of it is you can make it however you wish.

I eat it a couple times a week. You can eat it with milk like a "regular" cereal, but I prefer mine mixed with yogurt (Greek when I can afford it).

I like it because it is very high in fiber and incredibly satisfying. I start with the "base", my preference is equal portions of the three listed below and then I pick and choose from the other ingredients depending on mood and what is in the pantry. I just measure the ingredients into a bowl (I like to keep it even proportions "base" to additions, but that is a very loose 'rule'), stir in any spices and then fold in the yogurt.
I suppose you could make a large batch all at once, but I prefer to make a unique single serving blend every day.

-base-
rolled oats (or other flaked grains)
oat bran
flaked or shredded coconut (unsweetened)
-seeds-
chia seeds
flaxseed meal
hemp seeds
sunflower seed kernels
pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels)
-chopped fruit and nuts-
dried banana chips
dried pineapple
dried mango
raisins
dried cranberries
fresh berries
almonds
walnuts
cashews
-spices-
cinnamon
all spice
nutmeg
cloves
pumpkin pie spice
vanilla

This list is by no means definitive ... just ingredients I have used and recommend. Many recipes call for soaking the oats overnight ... not something that I have ever done as I prefer the taste / texture of raw unsoaked rolled oats. Oh ... and don't try this with steel cut or instant oats ... not gonna work out near as well as your basic "old-fashioned rolled oats".

Being diabetic I try and limit myself to 1/2 cup of muesli and mix it with 6 ounces of yogurt (YMMV). As I mentioned, traditionally muesli is unsweetened but you can add brown sugar or even your favorite preserves. There really is no right or wrong ... experiment, and if you come up with a combination that you feel is over the top ... let me know.

One thing to remember ... it is very important to drink plenty of water when eating a high fiber 'diet' ... skimp on the water at your own peril. I routinely drink a 24-ounce glass of water while I am enjoying my muesli.

(a caveat about oatmeal ... there is some concern about eating "raw" oats ... my belief is that as long as you stay with rolled oats, like "Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats", you will be fine as they are minimally processed ... having been steamed and rolled thin. I'd stay away from thick-cut oatmeal or steel cut as those may cause some issues. if you are really concerned you can alway soak the oats overnight before using)

some additional reading ...
http://bit.ly/1Bdv7um    http://bit.ly/1BdvdSK

enjoy

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