Have you ever made the effort of reading the label of shop-bought muesli? Making your own muesli is not difficult and is much more affordable than picking something from a shelf. It’s also such an easy way to make sure that this popular breakfast is indeed wholesome and nutritious. Pre-prepared versions can be surprisingly sweet and unnecessarily high in refined sugar and unhealthy fats, despite what the packaging claims about it being ‘good for you’ or high in vitamins and minerals. Take extra note of the label when the muesli is described as granola, as these options tend to be even higher in sugar. Heleen Meyer shares her healthy homemade muesli recipe with us.
Heleen loves to cook with Rooibos and even uses it in this muesli recipe. She says it is a great way to add enough moisture to mix the substantially smaller amounts of honey and oil into the oats, before roasting it all until golden brown and crispy.
Add flavour
When made at home, it’s easy to know what’s really included in your breakfast. What you serve it with is as important as making sure that it is indeed healthy. Milk, plain yoghurt and seasonal fruit are great options. Fruit like banana, citrus, berries, apples and grapes are great options. When in season, mango, peaches, papaya or even pear is good with the oats and nuts. A dollop of plain yoghurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon add a special touch to the fruit and is really delicious. Do take care not to add more sugar or even honey, as this adds to the sugar content of the breakfast. Enjoy a wholesome bowl of goodness to give yourself a great start to the day.
You can also decide how luxurious you want the mixture to be. Nuts, seeds or dried fruit are all wonderful additions for extra flavour, texture and goodness. You can use your choice of nuts and seeds as these not only add a lovely texture and flavour but are a great boost of healthy fats too. If you like dried fruit like raisins or small pieces of dried mango, peaches or apricot, rather stir these in once the muesli has cooled down, as they can easily burn when toasted. Remember, dried fruit does contain sugar, so keep the quantities moderate. The vanilla and cinnamon in the recipe also add an interesting flavour and a touch of natural sweetness.
Homemade muesli
Makes about 1 kg
5-6 Rooibos or any naturally flavoured Rooibos tea bags (a berry flavour is ideal)
250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
100 ml sunflower or canola oil
100 ml honey
1 kg (1 box) rolled or ordinary uncooked oats
125 ml (½ cup) nuts of your choice like raw almonds, cashews or macadamias, roughly chopped
125 ml (½ cup) seeds of your choice like sunflower or pumpkin seeds
15 ml (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon
15 ml (1 tbsp) vanilla essence
1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line two to three large baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place tea bags in a jug and pour the boiling water over. Allow to steep until it is quite strong and then remove the tea bags.
3. Stir the oil and honey into the warm tea to dissolve the honey.
4. Add the oats, nuts and seeds into a large mixing bowl and pour the tea mixture over. Stir well to coat the oats in the oil mixture.
5. Spoon the oats in a single layer onto the baking trays and spread evenly. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Stir through a few times during the roasting process, to prevent the mixture on the sides of the trays from becoming too dark. Remember that the oats will crisp up as the mixture cools down.
6. Sprinkle the cinnamon and vanilla essence evenly over the hot muesli, toss through and allow to cool completely on the baking trays.
7. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks. Enjoy with your choice of milk, yoghurt and seasonal fruit.
Visit Heleen’s website (www.heleenmeyer.co.za) for more recipes like this.
Image by Berna Coetzee