Not sure what makes or breaks a healthy muesli? Look no further; GoodnessMe Box Nutritionist Melissa Fine tells us what to look for in the cereal aisle.
1) Whole or Minimally Processed Grains
…Like nourishing, creamy rolled oats – my favourite. Not just for porridge, rolled oats can be eaten as is; A much healthier convenient option than any oat clusters from the supermarket, full of refined sugar and vegetable oil.
For some gluten free options, steer clear of refined white rice puffs and corn flakes and go for nice and nutty roasted or activated buckwheat instead (gluten free despite its name); Rolled brown rice is another option and makes a good porridge.
2) …Or No Grains
If you’re on a gluten or grain free diet, think outside the box and make your own muesli, sans grains; Try a combination of ground and whole nuts and seeds; LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds) makes a great base.
I also like The Banting Food Co’s Good Banter Muesli, which uses nuts and seeds as a base, and coconut oil to bring it all together – You won’t even notice the grains are missing.
3) Nuts and Seeds
Alongside being a good plant-source of energising B vitamins, nuts and seeds will get some fibre, healthy fats and protein into you first thing in the morning, so you stay fuller for longer.
Go for a muesli with a range of nuts and seeds so that you’ll be getting a greater variety of flavours, textures and nutrients: Think vitamin E-rich almonds, pumpkin seeds for some zinc, and walnuts, linseed and chia for essential omega-3 fats.
4) Sweetness Without the Sugar
Thanks to the sugar free movement, dried fruit and syrup-loaded mueslis are no longer in vogue, and for good reason. I’m not against a little dried fruit every now and then, but having a generous portion of the stuff on a daily basis isn’t the best idea for your teeth, including your sweet tooth – It will just give you more of a hankering for the sweet stuff, which we tend to get too much of in so many processed foods.
Not loving the idea of a bland, sugar free bowl of muesli for brekkie tomorrow? Think again – some wholefood, low sugar ingredients that impart a sweet taste do exist, like the ones used in the Good Banter Muesli: Coconut, coconut oil and cinnamon make a world of difference, and after having these add-ins for a while, try your old fruit muesli and I’ll bet you’ll find it sickly sweet.
5) Protein and Fat-Rich Toppings
Whether it’s some thick-strained unsweetened yoghurt or a drizzle of almond butter (or both!), toppings like these will bump up the protein and healthy fat content of your brekkie. Because protein helps stabilise your blood sugar and fat delays stomach emptying, this will make sure you’re not looking for something to eat an hour later.
The Banting Food Co, Good Banter Muesli is a paleo friendly, low, carb, low sugar muesli to find out more head to www.bantingfood.com.au