Think about a healthy breakfast or a healthy meal for weight loss and you might immediately think of muesli as the most convenient option today. For those who don’t know, muesli is a cold breakfast dish from Switzerland which is made with rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Break it down properly and you will find that muesli ticks all the right boxes, nutritionally speaking. A wholly vegetarian and vegan dish, muesli is packed with plant proteins, dietary fibre, essential minerals, vitamins and more.
So, does that automatically mean that muesli is great for your weight loss diet? The answer is a little complicated, and to understand it wholly, you need to understand in depth what muesli is, why and how it was first created and then evaluate if it is a good fit for your weight loss journey or not. Read on to know more.
The Origin Story Of Muesli: Nutrition In A Bowl
A simple web search will reveal to you that muesli was invented by Dr Maximilian Bircher-Benner, but what many don’t know is that this physician was also a pioneer in the field of nutrition and believed that food had the power to heal most issues humans face. In 1897, Bircher-Benner opened a sanitorium in Zurich called Vital Force, where he not only invented muesli, but also the entire raw vegetarian diet movement that is so popular today.
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Contrary to contemporary beliefs, Bircher-Benner believed that raw fruits, vegetables and even raw grains like oats were the most nutritious ingredients in the world. He not only converted to vegetarianism himself, but also created a number of pure-vegetarian and raw food dishes that were all provided to his sanitorium patients for sustenance—the carefully crafted muesli, with a balance of grains, nuts, seeds and dry fruits, was one of them. This all stemmed from Bircher-Benner's own personal experience of eating simple food to recover from a bout of jaundice in 1900.
Inspired by his own healing process, he developed a recipe that consisted of finely grated apple, soaked oats, lemon juice, condensed milk, and a variety of other ingredients like nuts and grated lemon zest. This was the first bowl of muesli in the world, and though the scientific community of the time was deeply skeptical about it, Bircher-Benner's patients started to experience positive health outcomes, the popularity of muesli grew.
The Pros And Cons Of Eating Muesli For Weight Loss
Muesli was primarily intended as a nutritious breakfast option. It provided a convenient way to incorporate raw fruits and whole grains into the diet, offering a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Over time, variations of muesli emerged, incorporating different grains, seeds, and dried fruits to cater to various tastes and preferences. Today, muesli is commercially produced and sold all over the world as a wholesome and nutritious breakfast options.
The benefits of eating muesli are many and proved by its inventor, Bircher-Benner himself. And while modern research does not speak just about muesli’s benefits—because it is versatile and no two people or even companies make it with the exact same ingredients—the components of muesli do prove it to be great for health. For example, a 2017 study published in Healthcare (Basel) shows that eating muesli on its own or as a part of an oat-based breakfast can indeed help reduce obesity.
On the flipside, scientists and nutritionists all agree, eating commercially produced and sold oats can lead to the opposite result too—meaning it can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss. How? Most commercially sold muesli are loaded with excess sugar, additives and preservatives that can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, and other health issues. Moreover, while muesli can be a great addition to your weight loss diet, it is not a magic ingredient that will inevitably lead to weight loss.
Chirag Barjatya, a fitness entrepreneur with a background in nutrition, fitness and debunking myths about both, who also founded the Project Fit Co (PFC Club), agrees. “Directly eating any food won’t help in weight loss,” he says. “Overall diet matters more.” But does this mean you shouldn’t eat muesli at all? Barjatya says you can and should, but only “if you choose the non-sugar ones. Avoid sugary ones. Nowadays there are many brands with protein muesli as well.”
What’s more, muesli is not difficult to make at home at all! If you are health conscious and a foodie, you might already have all the ingredients separately at home anyways. Don’t believe us? Try the easy recipe for homemade muesli given below.
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
½ tbsp raisins
½ tbsp dried cranberries
½ tbsp dried apricots
½ tbsp sliced almonds
½ tbsp cashews
½ tbsp pumpkin seeds
½ tbsp flax seeds
½ tbsp walnuts
½ tbsp toasted coconut flakes
½ tsp cinnamon powder
Honey (optional)
Fresh fruits and berries (optional)
Milk (optional)
Method:
1. Place the rolled oats in a large bowl.
2. Add the dry fruits, nuts and seeds but make sure no ingredient is sugary or coated with sugar.
3. Mix everything well, then add the cinnamon powder.
4. Give it a good mix again and take a portion out in a bowl.
5. Add honey, fresh fruits and berries, and milk as per your taste and enjoy a bowl of fresh muesli.