Fresh, healthy, sustaining, Bircher muesli
This is my all time favourite breakfast, I love it and it’s hard to believe it is such a healthy option. Every time I eat it I wonder why people eat those cardboardy, over-sugary cereals and muesli from the supermarket. The originals muesli was created around 1900 by a Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner for hospital patients to eat in the evening. It consisted of a lot of grated apples mixed with soaked porridge oats, nuts, lemon juice with a bit of cream and honey or condensed milk.
Muesli with or without oats
Lots of people don’t want to eat oats everyday and do better without. Linseed makes a good alternative or addition to oats. This is made from fresh ingredients, gluten-free, paleo, raw and low GI.but do add oats if you feel it isn’t breakfast without. This variation stays very close the original Bircher Muesli but linseed makes it is tastier, healthier and more sustaining.
Linseed for a healthier breakfast
Linseed is a healthier option for most people as it has lower carb than oats, lower glycemic index and richer in minerals, omega-3 and other important nutrients. It is super sustaining and will stop you wanting to snack.
Lots of linseed, nutrient-rich, & digestion friendly
This is oat-free, we usually use Flax Farm freshly cold-milled ground linseed instead of oats or other cereal slakes and Flax Farm omega-3 rich cold-pressed linseed oil adds richness in place of the cream or condensed milk used in the original and of course it is free-from saturated fat. Linseed and apples are rich in soluble fibre and pectin and great for the digestion. It’s every bit as tasty as traditional Bircher muesli and for many tastoer. I add lemon juice because lemons are mega healthy fruit, loads of vitamin C and alkalising, we don’t tend to eat enough lemons and it stops the apples going brown.
Easy to make
According to Wikipedia the word “muesli” is “Müsli” in German and means “mush-up” or “puree”. It is as easy to make as just putting the ingredients in a bowl mixing and what you end up with is a mush but it’s as gorgeous as a light fruity gateau. It can even be made the night before for a luxuriously creamy muesli.
Make it the way you like it
Adapt this recipe to what you have to hand, don’t worry if you don’t have an ingredients leave it out or substitute with something similar. Make the recipe suit you depending on what you like and what you need to avoid. Leave out anything you don’t like. It is naturally wheat-free and gluten-free but if you want to add in some oats or other flaked grains and they suit you go ahead. I enjoy a little local honey but sweeten with whatever you fancy, honey, stevia, maple syrup, monk fruit etc or combination. For a change try other fruits such as bananas, mango, peaches; make changes to the berries; try ground walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or Brazil nuts instead of seeds. You can moisten the muesli with any milk or yoghurt or juice, try kefir, live yoghurt or coconut yogurt.
Can be made in advance
It’s a great breakfast bowl when you want to treat yourself but so healthy you’ll want it every day. For convenience you can make this recipe in advance. I often make it in a Kilner jar the night before and take it with me when working away from home. This recipe is for one or two people depending how hungry you are. If you eat a smaller breakfast than I do follow this recipe and you’ll have enough for today and tomorrow. It also makes a lovely, healthy dessert or pick-me-up when you’re exhausted or convalescing.
Linseed Muesli without oats
Ingredients
- 1 Small Bramley apple or use dessert apple if you prefer
- 1-4 tsp Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Linseed (Flaxseed) Oil
- 1-3 Tbs Flax Farm ground linseed
- 2 Tbs Jumbo rolled oats optional or Flax Farm Porridge or Muesli
- 1-2 Tbs Mixed nuts or seeds Ground, chopped or whole
- 1 handful Berries, fresh or frozen any berries or mix
- 2-3 Tbs Your favourite milk or yoghurt
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1-3 Finely chopped fresh ginger optional
- a few drops vanilla extract optional
- 1-2 tsp honey, maple syrup, yacon syrup optional
- 1-2 TBS Yoghurt for topping optional
Instructions
- Grate apple, grate ginger finely or blitz in food processor, Mix in vanilla, sweetener and linseed oil. Place in a breakfast bowl with nuts or seeds and oats (if using).
- Add ground linseed to bowl.
- Add whatever milk you like to moisten oats, linseed, nuts and seeds.
- Finish by adding berries. with a drizzle of honey, yacon or maple syrup if required.
- Now for perfection give it a stir to make it a true muesli! 🙂
- Top with an extra tablespoon of yoghurt if you fancy.