Traditional Swiss Oat Muesli

Here’s a simple and nutritious way to serve oats. This healthy muesli recipe is a variation of the traditional Swiss breakfast food developed around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital (the Bircher-Benner Clinic). This is Vicky Newman’s version (my cookbook’s co-author).

This muesli is wonderful with the addition of unsweetened applesauce or grated fresh apples, or other seasonal fresh fruit. Mix up your favorite combination at night to have a hearty and nutritious breakfast on hand in the morning!

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
½ cup raw almonds
½ cup raisins
4 cups plain lowfat yogurt

Makes SIX 1/2-Cup Servings

Directions

Mix together in a glass bowl the uncooked oats, almonds, raisins, and yogurt.
Cover the bowl tightly and store the muesli in the refrigerator overnight.

Variations

This basic recipe is versatile and works well with other dried fruit, nuts, or seeds, and is wonderful topped with seasonal fresh fruit.

Nutrition Notes

Yogurt is a good source protein and calcium, and a great addition to any breakfast (most people don’t eat enough protein in the morning). High yogurt consumption (> 7 servings/week) is linked to lower weight (especially in people who eat more fruit), and lower risk of diabetes.
Oats are well-know for their cholesterol lowering properties, and recent research shows that they contain antioxidant compounds called avenanthramides that help decrease chronic inflammation that can lead to disease.
Almonds are a great source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunaturated fats, fiber, Vitamin E and important minerals (notably magnesium). Like other nuts, they can lowers LDL (“bad” cholesterol), and increase HDL (“good” cholesterol), and help lower blood pressure. A recent study suggests eating nuts daily might help you live longer and improve your health. Regular almond consumption can improve blood flow, increase blood levels of antioxidants, and lower blood pressure. Like other nuts, almonds are high in calories (50 g of almonds have about 290 calories), but that might not be a great concern for those who don’t need the extra calories: another just-published study showed that eating almonds as snacks for 1 month suppressed hunger and desire to eat sensations and didn’t affect body weight. Read about the latest studies on almonds and health (Experimental Biology, April 2014) here.