Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day. In addition to replenishing your body with essential nutrients after your overnight fast, breakfast also replenishes your supply of glucose so you have the energy and focus you need to tackle your day. As far as breakfast is concerned, there are few healthier breakfasts than Muesli.
What is Muesli?
Muesli is a popular European breakfast cereal consisting of grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. While it looks and sounds a lot like granola, there’s one major difference that makes muesli a much healthier option: Granola contains sugar (or other sweeteners) and oils; muesli does not.
So, muesli is a much healthier form of granola, but that’s not the only reason to eat muesli for breakfast. Muesli also offers a long list of benefits, so you can start your day right.
Here are seven reasons to eat muesli for breakfast.
a. It provides you with sufficient energy
Besides the fact that muesli provides a healthy balance of carbohydrates and fats (macronutrients that provide energy), muesli is also a great source of one of the most important vitamins for energy – vitamin B1. For extra vitamin B1, look for mueslis that contain sunflower seeds and cashews.
Related: Top Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas Perfect for Weight Loss
b. It keeps you feeling full all morning long
One of the greatest benefits of muesli is that it can fill you up and keep you feeling full for hours. This is because muesli is not only packed with whole grains, but it’s also high in fiber. High-fiber foods take longer to digest which leads to a prolonged feeling of fullness. In fact, some studies show that increasing dietary fiber can cause weight loss by automatically reducing calorie intake.
c. It’s a great source of protein
Protein is one of the three macronutrients your body needs to remain in good health. Specifically, protein plays an important role in repairing and building your body’s tissues, allowing metabolic reactions to take place, and coordinating bodily functions. Muesli, especially when mixed with milk or yogurt, is a great source of protein to start your day. In fact, one serving of Muesli has roughly the same amount of protein as a glass of milk (8g). That means when you mix Muesli and milk, you get 16g of protein to start your day.
d. It’s good for your digestion
Because muesli is so high in fiber, it’s also great for digestion. Here’s why: About 500 different species of bacteria live in the intestine. Much of this bacteria is “good bacteria” which is crucial for various aspects of your health. These “good bacteria” can also help reduce gut inflammation and improve digestive disorders. Essentially, fiber helps feed the good bacteria that take care of your gut and improves your digestion.
e. It provides you with antioxidants and boosts your immunity
Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm if their levels become too high in your body. They’re linked to multiple illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body. Thus, a diet high in antioxidants may be able to reduce your risk of these diseases. Many of the ingredients in muesli are a great source of antioxidants, including oats, barley, walnuts, cashews, apricots, raisins, dates, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. If you’re looking to boost immunity, there are few better breakfasts than muesli.
Related: Here’s Why Overnight Oats Make The Perfect Breakfast!
f. It’s good for your heart
Because muesli contains so many heart-healthy ingredients, it’s one of the best foods you can eat to prevent heart disease. First and foremost, muesli is a great source of whole grains, which, according to a review from the heart foundation, may be able to reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 30%. It also contains a variety of nuts and seeds that provide an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
For heart-healthy muesli, look for recipes that include walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, apricots, raisins, dates, coconut flakes, and/or dark chocolate. All of these ingredients provide tremendous health benefits for the heart.
g. It’s good for your brain
Just as many of the ingredients in muesli are important for heart-health, many of the ingredients in muesli are also important for brain health. Nuts are one such brain-healthy ingredient. In fact, long-term intake of nuts has been linked to “better cognitive status” in seniors. In addition, many mueslis recipes include different kinds of dried or freeze-dried berries that can also improve cognitive function.
How do you use muesli for breakfast?
If you’ve never tried muesli, you might be wondering how to eat it. There are really two primary ways to enjoy muesli:
- Prepare it cold – Add milk and enjoy it like a traditional breakfast cereal.
- Prepare it hot – Prepare it the same way you would prepare a bowl of oatmeal.
You can also enjoy it as a topping for yogurt or prepare it the same way you would prepare overnight oats.
Whichever way you decide to prepare it, here are some tips and tricks to make the most of your muesli:
- Add fresh fruit
- Add honey
- Add yogurt
- Add nut butter.
Final thoughts
Because it’s made with only pure, all-natural, healthy ingredients, muesli is one of the healthiest foods you can eat.
In the short-term, muesli provides a great source of energy, keeps you feeling full longer than most other breakfasts, and can help improve your digestive health. In the long-term, eating muesli every day can provide benefits for your heart, your brain, and your immune system.
Whether you’re seeking immediate benefit or thinking ahead, muesli is a breakfast that can help you start your day right.
