Natural Homemade Muesli – breaking the fast in style

When I was younger I never bothered much with breakfast. It always seemed more important to have that extra twenty minutes in bed or deal with a wardrobe crisis or whatever else cropped up to cause a delay in getting out the door.

Ironically it wasn’t until I made the decision to lose weight and eat healthier that I made breakfast a staple of my morning routine. When my husband and I returned from the United Kingdom fifteen years ago I was overweight and out of shape. I joined a gym, signed up with a personal trainer and by the following year I’d lost fifteen kilos. Considering I’m only five foot two inches tall you can imagine the massive difference this made.

And I’d like to briefly send out a big thank you to my former personal trainer Natasha who helped get me there. She designed my workouts and got me on the right track nutritionally. And I’ve never looked back.

It was during this time that I discovered how important breakfast is. And by that I mean for me personally. I realise some people simply don’t feel hungry in the mornings and there doesn’t seem much sense in fighting your body. Having said that I find the only time I don’t feel particularly hungry in the morning is if I’ve either eaten too much the night before or eaten too late – neither scenario being ideal.

The main advantage I found in having breakfast was that it prevented me from snacking during the morning. Skipping breakfast was all very well but by ten o’clock I’d be at my desk tucking into snacks telling myself that it was all very healthy because the wrapper I’d just opened had “muesli” in the title. It’s no substitute for a proper breakfast.

I’ve been making this muesli for years now and I never tire of it. It is so delicious and so satisfying you’ll go to bed at night excited by the fact that it’s your next meal (but then I spend most of the day thinking about my next meal). The other big plus is that it’s prepared the night before so if you are in a rush have no fear – this muesli is the work of but a moment in the morning.

The night before preparation I refer to involves juicing an orange, grating an apple and stirring through the muesli. I then cover it in cling film and leave it to soak overnight in the fridge. I understand this is known as the Swiss style of preparing muesli.

The overnight soaking softens the oats and seeds, helps with digestion and means you can skip milk and go straight for a generous dollop of yoghurt. I find it much more interesting than dry muesli swimming in milk. I also add blueberries in the morning with the yoghurt. But here is where you can personalise it – add whatever fruit you like. In the summertime when strawberries are in season they are delicious with this muesli.

In the wintertime I’m happy to thaw some frozen blueberries. This blushing purple-coloured berry is a super food hero. Packed full of antioxidants and other essential nutrients you couldn’t ask for a better way to liven up your morning muesli.

There is one component of the muesli I’d like to talk about briefly. I find the dried fruits are far superior if purchased organic, particularly apricots. The dried apricots I buy are completely organic, completely delicious and free of sulphites. I’m not sure I could bring myself now to purchase the regular vivid orange kind. The dark burnished colour of these beauties immediately tells you that you’re about to eat something special.

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Below is the recipe for this fabulous muesli. If you’re someone who runs out the door in the morning with no time for breakfast, try making this muesli and you’ll soon find yourself making time.

Natural Muesli

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Ingredients

  • 300g rolled oats
  • 125g chia seeds
  • 50g coconut chips (or coconut flakes)
  • 70g pumpkin seeds
  • 70g sunflower seeds
  • 50g sesame seeds (optional)
  • 75g whole almonds
  • 75g raisins
  • 75g dried apricots, diced

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Method

Simply combine all the ingredients (combine well) and transfer to an airtight container.

For one serving:

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Ingredients

  • 50-60g muesli
  • 1 large orange (or 2 small oranges)
  • 1 apple
  • Blueberries (or fruit of your choice)
  • Greek or natural yoghurt

Method

  1. Juice the orange and grate the apple. Pour the orange juice into a breakfast bowl and stir the grated apple through the juice.
  2. Add the muesli and stir through well.
  3. Cover with cling film and transfer to the fridge. Leave for a few hours or overnight.
  4. The next morning, give the muesli a stir, add the blueberries and a generous spoonful of yoghurt.

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Enjoy!

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30 Comments

  7. annika says:

    This is great! First of all, I love how you prepare a large batch of the dry portion (scratching my head, thinking why I never thought to do that!) I also love how this is vegan if you omit the yogurt on top!

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    • Tracey O'Brien says:

      Thanks so much, Annika. I love opening the pantry and seeing my container of muesli waiting for me. You could absolutely leave out the yoghurt if you wanted this breakfast to be vegan. Would be lovely with a splash of almond or coconut milk perhaps?

      Liked by 1 person

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