Easy Healthy Breakfast
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Breakfast bowl recipes for an easy healthy breakfast using granola and muesli with special toppings to aid nutrition.
What is a healthy breakfast?
Breakfast provides nutritional benefits but also has a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. But what is a healthy breakfast?
In this article we cover all the breakfast basics, beginning with the many benefits of eating breakfast. We explore the foods that make up a healthy breakfast and look at why some breakfast cereals are healthier than others.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why is breakfast important?
What is a healthy breakfast?
A balanced breakfast
Wholegrains for breakfast
Fruit for breakfast
Dairy for breakfast
Healthy breakfast cereal
Is muesli healthy?
Is granola healthy?
Is porridge healthy?
A healthy oat breakfast
Gluten-free cereal
Choose low-sugar cereal
How to build a healthy breakfast
Why is breakfast important?
Eating breakfast restores energy levels
After 8 hours without food, if you don’t eat breakfast you will be running on empty all day. Chances are you will try to make up the losses with caffeine and then reach for the sugar by 11am.
A healthy breakfast replenishes nutrient levels
Food is more than a simple energy equation and the body requires a balance of nutrients to help it work efficiently and effectively. It makes sense to get the day off to the best start possible, with a broad range of nutrients.
A balanced breakfast can help you achieve your 5 a day
Breakfast is the ideal opportunity to get a head start on your 5 a day, and is a great time to get some fruit on board. Lunch and dinner may well be more vegetable based, so a few portions of fruit in the morning is a great idea.
Eating breakfast helps to regulate hunger
Eating a healthy breakfast gives us the energy, and the nutrients, to see us through to lunch. Not only do we need slow release energy to prevent those energy slumps, but quite often when we feel hunger it is because we lack certain nutrients.
A healthy breakfast provides fibre
We need at least 30g of fibre each day and eating wholegrains at breakfast is a good way to get ahead of the game. Eating fibre first thing not only keeps us feeling full but also aids digestion. A sluggish bowel can leave us feeling tired and uncomfortable, but a healthy digestive system won’t slow us down.
Eating breakfast can sharpen focus and increase mental performance
Hunger is not only a distraction in itself, but the brain needs nutrients to perform well. The brain requires a constant steady supply of glucose, as well as B vitamins and fatty acids.
Breakfast boosts metabolism
We have all heard the phrase ‘kick-start your metabolism’ and eating breakfast does just that. Eating boosts the metabolism. Eating breakfast gets the metabolism going at the start of your day, for efficient calorie burning throughout the day.
Metabolism is the term used to define chemical reactions within the body. In nutrition, metabolism is the conversion of food into energy and the breaking down of nutrients. In lay terms we tend to use it to refer to how efficiently we are burning calories. Or in even simpler terms; how easily we gain, or lose, weight.
Our basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories that we burn at rest. Determined largely by genetics, underlying health issues, and body composition, we can however give nature a helping hand. Exercise, indeed any form of movement, is one. Eating, is another. Which is why we are doing ourselves no favours by skipping breakfast.
A balanced breakfast can help to stabilise blood sugars
A slow release of energy regulates insulin production and keeps blood sugar levels steady. Not only is this vital for overall, long-term health, but it prevents the exhausting cycle of highs and crashes that comes when we rely on instantly gratifying sources of energy such as refined carbohydrates.
Eating a healthy breakfast reinforces positive feedback
If you feel good in yourself physically and mentally, then you are likely to make positive healthy choices. Making healthy choices will help you to feel good. And round it goes. That’s a positive feedback loop. It creates its own momentum.
Those who eat breakfast have better weight control
Weight control is tied in with all of these things. With better control over our metabolic processes we have a greater chance of reaching, and maintaining our healthy body weight.
What is a healthy breakfast?
Breakfast is a matter of personal choice that is likely to mean different things to different people, according to the dictates of a varying routine. The breakfast we eat on a work or school day may be totally different to a weekend breakfast. Most of us tend to eat the same thing for breakfast, especially on the days when we need to be up and at it. Which is fine; routine may be the thing that stands between breakfast or no breakfast all.
Nutritional science agrees on two things. What makes a healthy breakfast, and what doesn’t.
What we don’t want for breakfast is sugar, and other refined carbs, or excessive saturated fats and salt. So that’s the traditional breakfast proteins best kept to a bare minimum, as well as the other side of the coin, which is sugary breakfast cereals or white toast. Basically, all the stuff we have breakfasted upon for years.
Yet these are the extremes. Fatty salty proteins and really carby carbs.
In the middle, lies some excellent food choices. Wholesome, nutritious food. Not all carbs are inherently evil, just as not all protein is a heart attack waiting to happen. The thing that we seek is…balance.
A balanced breakfast
It stands to reason that a balanced breakfast, just like a balanced diet, takes into account ALL of the food groups. The five food groups are…
Starchy foods – for energy
Fruit and veg – plenty of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals
Dairy – a good source of calcium
Protein – for growth and repair
Fats – provide essential fatty acids
Within these groups, some foods support a healthy lifestyle more than others. Eaten in moderation, no food is bad, yet sensible choices are the cornerstone of healthy eating. As a general rule of thumb, stick to foods as close to their natural state as possible as these have a greater chance of having their nutritional profile intact.
Nutritionists consistently recommend that a balanced breakfast consists of…
- A serving of wholegrains
- A portion or two of fruit
- A portion of dairy
That’s roughly 30g wholegrains, 150g fruit, and 100g of yoghurt or 250g milk.
Additional fats and proteins can be added according to your needs and your daily diet as a whole. Nuts and seeds are all excellent sources of protein and fat.
From a breakfast viewpoint, this group of foods makes perfect sense. Grains, fruit, and dairy, with a handful of nuts and seeds thrown in. It is almost as if they evolved with breakfast in mind. They involve minimal prep, are quick to eat, and easy to digest. Not to mention nutrient dense.
Wholegrains for breakfast
We don’t seem to be able to grasp the fact that grains are good for us. When it comes to nutrition, grains have become a contentious topic. They involve carbohydrate. And gluten. And then there’s the question of phytic acid. We may have finally twigged that over consumption of refined grains has led to a whole host of health issues, yet unrefined grains are a different story. An important part of a healthy balanced diet, grains are not something we should dismiss lightly. They do, after all, constitute an entire food group.
Grains are the seeds of grasses known collectively as cereals. Rice, wheat, and sorghum are all examples. Oats, barley, rye, and bulghur are also cereals. Buckwheat and quinoa are examples of pseudo-cereals; they are seeds but not of cereal grasses. Wholegrains are less refined and have more of their natural structure intact, with less of the nutrients removed.
The benefits of wholegrains
Not only are grains a comparatively low-cost food, providing bulk to our diet, but they also come with a range of health benefits too. They have been shown to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. They also help to regulate blood sugar levels. Unrefined, they are an important source of fibre; a vital nutrient for digestive health.
Fibre slows down the release of sugars into the blood stream. Which is why refined grains have the opposite effect and have given carbohydrates a bad name. Refined grains have had all, or most, of their fibre removed, and a lot of their proteins and fats too, so release their sugars far too quickly. This results in insulin spikes, and also storage of excess sugars as body fat. Fibre also encourages digestive transit, which helps us digest food more efficiently and eliminate waste.
Soluble fibre, like that found in oats, also helps to stabilise blood sugar.
What about gluten-free grains?
Not all grains contain gluten. There are several gluten-free grains, including rice and sorghum. Buckwheat and quinoa may not be true grains, but they are gluten-free and can happily take the place of other, gluten-containing, grains.
Fruit for breakfast
Fruit, believe it or not, also gets a bad press. We have become so enamoured of the idea that sugar is bad for us, that we have become afraid of fruit. Yet fruit has powerful nutrients found in no other foods on Earth. As with the carbohydrate content of wholegrains, the importance lies in the whole package. Some of the most nutrient dense foods to be found are fruit. Not only do they come with fibre (sometimes soluble – as in apples) that slows down the absorption of sugar but also a whole array of vitamins and phytochemicals.
Breakfast is the ideal opportunity for eating fruit. As part of a balanced meal, alongside the fibre from the grains, plus the fats and protein from dairy as well as nuts and seeds, the sugars in fruit are taken into the body even more slowly. Fruit is sweet and easy to eat. A form of easily digestible nutrients after the nightly period of fasting.
Dairy for breakfast
And then there is dairy. Much maligned and misunderstood. So much so that it is another entire food group disappearing from our diet. We understand that there are a number of good reasons that you may not want dairy as part of your diet. We are not here to debate, or to judge. However, the nutrient value of dairy foods such as milk and yoghurt cannot be denied.
Milk is a natural partner for breakfast cereal. Just as yoghurt is a natural partner for fruit. A trio of nutritious foods with which to begin the day.
250g milk contains 8g protein. That is around one-fifth of the daily needs for a female and provides all of the essential amino acids. Whey protein in particular is rich in branched-chain amino acids which is why they make protein powder from whey. Speaking of whey, milk is 88% water so it is hydrating as well as nutritious.
250g full-fat milk contains 8g fat and is a complex mix of hundreds of fatty acids.
Milk is high in Vitamin B12, and is one of the best sources of Vitamin B2. It is the best source of easily absorbable calcium and is usually fortified with Vitamin D.
Yoghurt, made from fermented milk, has the same nutrient profile as milk. It also contains beneficial bacteria and may have extra protein.
Healthy breakfast cereal
Usually when we refer to cereal we mean breakfast cereal, not the grasses that grains come from. We have talked about the health benefits of eating wholegrains for breakfast, but what does that mean in terms of breakfast cereals?
Is eating cereal for breakfast healthy?
The answer to that depends on the type of cereal you choose. And also what you put with it to make a meal. Snacking on a bowl of dry frosted flakes just won’t cut it. Let’s take a walk down the cereal aisle and see what we can find.
We can immediately eliminate the most obvious. The whole range of breakfast cereals that may taste like sugary/chocolatey heaven, but sure aren’t doing much to support your healthy eating goals. Scarily, most of it is marketed to kids. You know the ones, so we won’t go into detail.
Then there are the less obvious. Probably marketed as wholegrain, but a closer look at the label reveals plenty of not-whole grains and a fair old amount of sugar.
Then there is the truly confusing. The breakfast cereals that were intended to be healthy, that we expect to be healthy, but these days we just can’t be entirely sure…
Is muesli healthy?
Muesli, invented by a doctor, began life as a health food and has managed to hold on to that reputation. Full of raw, natural ingredients, muesli is a wholesome mixture of grains, nuts, and dried fruit. Modern muesli tends to have seeds added to the mix too; pumpkin, sunflower and the like. With the emphasis on the raw, muesli is known for being rather hard work to eat. From a health perspective, this is kinda the point.
Commercial muesli has a slightly different image and can be full of sugar. Designed to be sweet, creamy, and way more easy to eat, it can focus on cheaper grains such as wheat flakes to make up its bulk. Fruit and nuts may be at a minimum, and there can be a high proportion of milk powder. Premium commercial muesli is more likely to contain higher quality ingredients, with a higher proportion of the good stuff like nuts and fruit, but can still come with a hefty dose of sugar.
To answer the question, yes a good quality muesli is a healthy breakfast choice that fits current health recommendations.
Is granola healthy?
Granola has been around as long as muesli and also has its roots amongst the health conscious. The major point of difference is that where muesli is raw, granola is baked. Unfortunately though, the thing that makes traditional style granola so crunchy and moreish is the fat and sugar that sticks it together.
Gourmet granola still needs some kind of fat and some kind of sweetener to make it granola, but is made up of a wider variety of unrefined grains, nuts, seeds and fruit. Good granola, like ours, uses healthy fats and minimal amounts of natural sugar to create the moreish crunchy breakfast cereal that we all know and love.
When you are looking for healthy granola, check the label for high quality ingredients, and a low sugar content. And stick to the recommended portion sizes.
Vegan granola
A lot of granola is vegan by nature, but you will want to check the label for added honey. It is unlikely, but some granola may contain butter or milk solids, so look out for that too.
Is porridge healthy?
You would think that this wouldn’t need to be a question but with pre-packaged ready-to-go cereals on the rise, you just never quite know.
We know that oats are a wonderful thing. Some are more refined that others. Which is actually fine. Some oats are refined more than others yet still come with most of their nutrient credentials intact. They just cook more quickly. Some oats are milled out of all existence, so maybe avoid those.
Porridge is now available as ready to go (already wet) and also as ready to make (dry). Watch out for the ingredients in these, as they may be bulked up with powders, sugars, flavourings, and all manner of extra things.
Then there’s the question of what you put in/on your porridge. If you are partial to half a pint of double cream and a few spoons of crunchy demerara sugar as oppose to a spoonful of yoghurt and a handful of berries, then who are we to judge. The good news is that oats are always awesome. The bad news is that it can be easy to offset all the good stuff with a ton of extra calories. Keep nutrient density top of mind and you will be fine. Redefine decadence.
A healthy oat breakfast
Of course, what all of these breakfast cereals have in common is oats. Possibly the most super of all the superfoods, oats really are one of the best things you can eat to support your health and wellbeing.
There is ongoing debate about whether oats contain gluten or not. It is commonly believed that any gluten contamination in oats comes from the processing yet there may be more to it than that. Find out what we discovered in our article ‘are oats gluten-free?’.
What makes oats so great?
Oats are composed of over 10% fibre, most of which is a soluble fibre known as beta-glucan. Digested slowly, this soluble fibre keeps us feeling fuller for longer. Overall, oats are easy to digest, which makes them an ideal food for breakfast.
Beta glucan helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels (the ‘bad’ cholesterol that you don’t want) and helps to prevent blood sugar spikes. Magnesium in oats also helps in regulating insulin secretion.
Oats are a unique source of antioxidant aventhramides which are thought to help prevent heart disease. They also contain a natural sedative called gramine.
Gluten-free cereal
Whether or not you tolerate oats will depend on your individual circumstances, but if you are looking for gluten-free cereal then you do have options. Look for breakfast cereal made from gluten-free grains such as buckwheat or quinoa. These are often puffed and make a delicious addition to granola so you won’t feel you are missing out.
Choose low-sugar cereal
We have talked a lot about the good things that go into breakfast cereal, and mentioned (quite a bit) about the bad. But just in case you didn’t quite catch the point, here it is again.
Choose low sugar breakfast cereal.
A lot of breakfast cereal, even the so called healthy types and premium options, will come with a higher proportion of sugar (even natural ones) than you would like. Some breakfast cereals contain as much as 40% sugar.
Ideally you want to aim for less than 5% sugar, and at least 3% fibre.
How to build a healthy breakfast
With our breakfast formula of 30g wholegrains + 250ml milk/100g yoghurt + 150g fresh fruit + 20g (a small handful) of nuts and seeds, you can’t really get it wrong.
We have already thrown in the nuts and seeds for you, so with our muesli and granola aim for a 50g serving.
Here’s some examples of how you can switch it up…
Classic crunchy granola, milk and a handful of berries
Yoghurt, gluten-free granola, and a sliced peach
Bircher muesli made with a bircher muesli blend, yoghurt and a grated apple
Smoothie bowl made with yoghurt, frozen berries and low-sugar granola
Porridge made with 5 grain porridge mix, milk, and a sliced banana
Breakfast shake made with rolled oats, milk and a banana
Why not explore our range of healthy cereal and start your day in the best possible way?
This article was reproduced on this site with permission from operafoods.com.au the “Bulk Cereal Suppliers”.
See original article:- What is a Healthy Breakfast
Blueberry baked oats recipe
There is a version of baked oats doing the rounds that involves blitzing all of the ingredients before baking. Once cooked, it is more like cake or pudding than a traditional oat breakfast dish. Add in some cacao and you have literally got chocolate cake for breakfast. We hear you.
Yet there is something to be said for classic baked oats – great for breakfast, like porridge on steroids, but equally good for pudding or dessert. There are few foods as comfortingly moreish as whole oats and we think they deserve to remain centre stage.
Baked oats for breakfast
Healthy baked oats are a great way to start your day. In fact, oats in any form are one of the best ways to fill up in the morning. Nutritional advice consistently agrees that the best ingredients of a healthy breakfast are a portion of wholegrains, a portion of dairy, and one or more portions of fruit. Oats in particular have many health credentials. One of the most nutrient dense foods around, they are packed with vitamins and minerals, including some uniquely powerful antioxidants. A good source of soluble fibre, oats are said to help with weight loss, blood sugar control, and lower the risk of heart disease. To name just a few of their many benefits.
How to make baked oats
Baked oats are simpler to make than porridge. You just stir all the ingredients together and bake in the oven. It does have a few more ingredients though – eggs, baking powder and butter all help create a pudding-y texture.
You can make a chocolate version by adding a tablespoon of cacao powder to the mix. Raspberries go well with chocolate so consider switching out the blueberries with fresh or frozen raspberries. Sprinkle the top with raw cacao nibs for extra crunch.
The recipe is easily adapted to use pretty much anything you like. Add in a handful of chopped almonds or stir in some homemade almond butter. Go for grated apple, or tinned peaches. Experiment with yoghurt instead of milk, or get creative with sweet spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.
Try using our 5 grain porridge mix for extra grainy goodness.
Blueberry baked oats recipe
You can cook up a batch of baked oats and make it last all week so you always have a healthy breakfast to hand. . This recipe makes 6 generous servings.
2 cups oats
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
- Mix all of the ingredients together and tip into a greased baking dish.
- Bake for about 50 minutes at 180C.
Vegan baked oats
You can make a vegan version of this recipe by switching out the eggs for one or two mashed bananas and using your favourite alt-milk. Replace the honey with brown sugar or miss it out entirely.
Choose from our range of healthy cereal, including our organic rolled oats, available to buy online now.
This article was reproduced on this site with permission from operafoods.com.au the “Online Healthy Cereals Supplier”.
See original article:- Blueberry Baked Oats Recipe
Can you eat granola on keto?
We all know that cereals are carbs, right? And that carbs are the enemy of ketosis. But can you eat granola on keto?
What is the keto diet?
Keto is short for ketogenic. The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that may help you lose weight and benefit your health.
How does the keto diet work?
As the name suggests, the aim of the keto diet is to put your body in ketosis. A metabolic state that enables the body to become more efficient at burning fat for energy, ketosis is said to reduce blood sugar and regulate insulin levels. In ketosis, your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, yet normally the metabolism relies on glucose for energy. Limiting intake of carbs reduces the availability of glucose, causing the metabolic pathways to shift direction and burn fat for energy instead.
Keto macros
The principles behind keto are not quite as simple as just reducing carbs. Successful ketosis relies on a ratio of macronutrients that will not only be slightly different for each individual but will also alter over time and according to changing variables. Measuring the macronutrients of carbs, protein and fat ensures optimal calorie intake but also affects the equilibrium of ketosis. You can start your keto diet on a certain ratio but from there it is all about observation and fine-tuning.
The standard ratio for keto is 10% carbs, 20% protein, 70% fat. Guidelines recommend levels between: 5-10% carbs, 15-30% protein, 60-75% fat.
Although foods are generally classed in groups according to the main macronutrient, most (if not all) foods contain a proportion of each. So, when calculating, the entire macronutrient composition must be taken into account.
How many carbs per day on keto?
To get from a percentage to a usable measurement, such as grams, you need to do some calculations based on your overall daily calorie target. You also need to know that carbs provide 4 kcal energy per gram.
For instance, on 2000 kcal a day, 10% carbohydrate would be 200 kcals. Divide 200 by 4 and you get a carb goal of 50g per day. When calculating carbs, you need to use the figure for net carbs, as oppose to total carbs. The numbers for net carbs do not include fibre, as this is not absorbed by the body and therefore provides no energy. On the other hand, the numbers for total carbs include the grams of fibre.
Healthy fats for keto
A successful keto diet is as much about quality as it is quantity. A diet based around whole natural foods, with a focus on nutrient density and macronutrients is as important on keto as any other eating plan.
Whilst saturated fats are accepted as vital sources of nutrients, there are a wide range of plant-based fats that support overall health. Nuts and seeds, and their derivative oils, as well as coconut oil and olive oil are all healthy fats for a keto diet.
How much protein on keto?
It can be easy to get too much protein on a keto diet. When you eat too much protein it may inhibit ketosis as the body can convert amino acids (the building blocks of protein) into glucose. As protein releases the same amount of energy as carbohydrates, the calculation for optimal intake is the same. Again, nuts and seeds are recommended sources on the keto diet. A pretty much perfect food, they are low in carbohydrate, and high in protein as well as healthy fats.
Did you know that almonds are one of the most versatile nuts for a keto diet?
Keto breakfast
Breakfast is hard enough when you are gluten-free, but low-carb? A potential minefield.
Nutritionally speaking, the best foods for a healthy breakfast are believed to be grains, dairy and fruit, and the benefits of cereal and milk are widely accepted. Eggs are the go-to ingredient for a keto breakfast, closely followed by pork products such as bacon and sausages. But what if you want a keto breakfast with no eggs? What if you are mindful of saturated fat and excess protein? Not to mention sodium. It’s an Atkins nightmare all over again. And then there is time. Or not. Very few people can manage to cook, let alone eat, a hot meaty breakfast before heading out the door in the early morning. Sure, where there’s a will there’s a way but that’s why breakfast cereal was invented yeah? Convenient, crunchy, and easy on the digestion.
Keto cereal
Breakfast cereal is generally made from grains. Aka cereals. Aka carbs. Which of course are a big nay-nay for the fat-burning bod.
What cereal can you eat on the keto diet?
Some breakfast cereals are lower in carbs than others yet will still use up your entire weekly carb allowance in one glorious bowl. The market has got wiser as far as individual dietary preferences are concerned and the available range is far wider than it once was. You do need to check your labels carefully though. Grain-free is your best bet, but may come with whopping amounts of sugar. Better still would be a breakfast cereal labelled keto. Imagine that 😉
Can you eat granola on keto?
The short answer is pretty much no. But keto granola does exist. Based on nuts and seeds, with a handful of healthy fat thrown in, keto granola is just the thing for a cold and crunchy keto breakfast.
Try Almond Blueberry Keto Granola which is also a Gluten free Vegan granola. Check out our article ‘muesli vs granola’ for a comparison of the two.
Can you have milk on a keto diet?
But what about the milk? It is that combo of cold cold milk and crunchiness that makes granola such a lovely thing. Can you have milk on a keto diet?
Dairy milk, from cows or goats, might be chock full of nutrients including protein and fats, but they also come with a moderately high amount of carbs. One cup of cows milk has 12g net carbs. Goats milk has marginally less.
And it is not just dairy. Many alternative milks come with a ton of carbs too. Oat milk (unsurprisingly) has 17g net carbs per cup. Rice milk is even higher at 21g.
Also unsurprisingly, almond milk is THE milk of choice for keto, with just 1g of carbs per cup. Yay. If you make your own almond milk it tastes better and has no sweeteners of fillers that you didn’t put there yourself.
What about keto-friendly fruit?
A bowl of granola needs a bit of fruit, but unfortunately this is also a keto minefield. Our advice is to go for berries, some of the lowest carb fruit around. At between 6-9g carbs in half a cup of raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, they certainly aren’t for everyday but make an excellent nutrient boost to breakfast a few times a week.
Watch out for our keto granola coming soon…
In the meantime, check out our other low sugar granola or buy healthy cereals at wholesale prices from our online bulk food store.
This Article was reproduced with permission from Opera Food’s article:- “Can you eat granola on keto?” dated 22nd June 21
What is Bircher muesli and how easy is it to make?
The forerunner to overnight oats, Bircher muesli is a healthy breakfast favourite.
The soaked oats take on a softly different texture to porridge, in a dish that is easy to eat and easy to digest. Which is ideal for the first meal of the day.
Closely related to both muesli and granola, it can be oddly decadent in spite of its wholesome credentials.
What is Bircher muesli?
Bircher muesli was created in the early 1900s by Maximilian Bircher-Brenner. A Swiss doctor, he created the recipe as a way of getting more fruit into his patients. More specifically, apples, which he considered particularly nutritious. A simple recipe of oats, milk, nuts and apples soaked together overnight, it was a soft and easily digestible breakfast for his sanitorium patients. So of course Bircher Muesli is another one of the low sugar cereal products.
Is Bircher muesli healthy?
Like most foods, it can only be as healthy as the ingredients that you make it with. Made with cream and lots of nuts it will be more heavy on calories than if you soak it in water. Made with the four basic ingredients, this healthy breakfast comes with a range of benefits.
Oats are full of fibre, some of which is soluble, that gives an extended feeling of fullness and prevents blood sugar spikes. Magnesium present in oats helps to regulate insulin secretion and they also contain a natural sedative. With plenty of vitamins and minerals, oats are a great source of all round goodness.
Maximilian was right about apples; an often overlooked fruit. They also help to regulate blood sugar levels and are a source of soluble fibre. Many of the compounds found in apples improve metabolic balance. Always eat the skin as it contains fibre and may help prevent osteoporosis. Apples are waxed for shelf life, so wash them thoroughly in warm soapy water and rinse well before eating. Allowing the apple to brown a little after grated can help it become more easily digestible. Apples are also a source of vitamin C and iron.
Adding nuts increases the protein content as well as the fibre. Always eat nuts with the skin on to keep the nutrient profile intact. Nuts also provide many essential fatty acids. Almonds are rich in zinc, magnesium, and potassium as well as antioxidant vitamin E. Hazelnuts are rich in antioxidants and contain biotin, a substance that is really good for strong healthy skin and hair.
Using dairy milk, from cows, sheep, or goats, adds the benefit of calcium and vitamin D. Dairy foods also provide vitamin B12 which is essential for a healthy brain and nervous system. Vitamin B3 in dairy milk can also help to burn more calories. Choose full fat milk as it retains the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Can you eat Bircher muesli without soaking?
Bircher muesli by default is soaked. Not soaked, it becomes, well, muesli. The soaking process not only makes the oats more digestible by softening them, but helps to break down a substance called phytic acid. Present in all grains (which is why grains are not part of a Paleo diet), phytic acid binds to certain minerals and reduces the uptake of minerals present in the food. You can also include the nuts in the soaking process for the same reason, but they do take on a softer less crunchy texture.
Is Bircher muesli gluten free?
Oats themselves are not gluten free yet low in gluten and are often processed alongside wheat and other cereals so tend to be avoided by those with serious issues around gluten, such as coeliacs. Oats that are not 100% gluten free although some are labelled as such, and some commercial muesli blends will contain other gluten-containing cereals.
How to make Bircher muesli
Jar of bircher muesli
Bircher muesli is made by soaking oats in a liquid overnight, and then adding grated apple and nuts. It will keep in the fridge for about 3 days and can be frozen if required.
Vegan Bircher muesli
Making this soft creamy breakfast vegan is easy. Simply use juice, water or non-dairy milk. Nutty almond milk works particularly well, as does creamy oat milk.
Paleo Bircher muesli
Strictly speaking, the Paleo diet is open to personal interpretation depending on the foods you feel your body can tolerate. But in general, whether they contain gluten or not, grains are eliminated from the Paleo diet. You could experiment with some combination of coconut flakes, almond meal, and chia seeds but the results will be a vague approximation rather than a substitute. We think you are far better off with Paleo muesli or granola of nuts, seeds and fruits instead.
Basic Bircher muesli recipe
Soaked overnight, it becomes a soft and simple moreish thing. For the liquid you could use water, apple juice, milk, or for a touch of luxury, mix of half milk/half cream. The classic nuts would be hazelnuts, but you could use almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
You could make bircher muesli with our multigrain porridge oats, or try a bircher muesli mix instead of just oats.
Serves 1
25g oats
90ml liquid
1 apple, coarsely grated
1/4 cup nuts, chopped
- Mix the liquid with the oats and soak in the fridge overnight.
- Stir in the grated apple.
- Top with the nuts and enjoy.
Have you tried Bircher porridge? Make it just like you would regular porridge, but use a Bircher muesli like our Hinterland Bircher Muesli. It’s ideal for winter and packed full of yummy things that will make your morning porridge a bit more interesting.
Bircher muesli not your thing? Here’s some of our other low sugar cereals. Or head on over to our online gourmet grocery stores where you can buy healthy cereal in bulk.
A Perfect Paleo Mix with Real Fruit Pieces
Apple Supreme Paleo by Plum Foods is delicious and tasty paleo muesli that includes a mix of real fruit pieces. Plum Foods produce healthy cereals. Apple supreme paleo is gluten-free and organic and contains no cereal grains. The Apple Supreme Paleo is perfect for healthy breakfasts. It is often treated as a good snack food.
You can have the Apple Supreme Paleo with milk, almond milk, fresh fruits or yoghurt. This unique Gluten Free breakfast cereal suits the paleo diet and is a low sugar cereal as it contains no added sugar and other artificial preservatives. Its fruit aroma will melt your heart. Apple supreme paleo comes in a foil lined pack with zip re-seal in order to keep hold of its freshness.
Apple supreme paleo 500g is quite popular among healthy cereals in Australia.
For more information, visit our site. Buy apple supreme paleo now and get online discounts on this product.
Healthy Breakfast Cereal Rich in Protein and Low GI for Heart Disease
Plum Foods manufacture healthy breakfast cereals including muesli, rolled oats, and granola that helps to sustain energy and resist against illness. The brand of Plum foods delivers award-winning superior quality breakfast cereals. Plum Foods have won gold medals at an international Great Taste Awards.
They supply majority organic and pesticide free ingredient products at an affordable price. Although we do not pay for certification of our products Plum utilizes only certified organic oats as well as insecticides free Australian almonds and other organic produce for the bulk of the ingredients by volume.
Wholesale Granola is regarded as a superior source of protein and healthy fats that are made from seeds, oils, and nuts. It is also regarded as a healthy breakfast cereal. Granola can be of different flavors such as Maple Nut Crunch, Apple Supreme Paleo gluten-free, Cranberry Crunch, Spelt and Agave Nut Crunch and more.
Granola can be served with almond milk, milk, fresh fruit, yogurt and more toppings sold under our sister brand Boost Nutrients. Granola helps to lower blood sugar and cholesterol level as it is rich in the right fats. It will also help to decrease heart diseases, as well as other inflammatory conditions. Granola is rich in most minerals that may help to produce connective tissues, red blood cells and more.
Buy it online at parent company store Opera Foods.
Jumbo Oats 5 Grain A Uniquely Nutritious Porridge Cereal Breakfast
Jumbo Oats 5 Grain is a unique and delicious porridge breakfast cereal product from the Plum Foods brand. Plum Foods are the manufacturers and distributors as well as wholesale muesli suppliers to many Australian independent grocers and fresh retailers. Our distribution company Opera Foods is also part of this Australian family business.
Plum Foods consume natural wholefood elements for the production of nutritious cereals. Jumbo Oats 5 Grain is made up of different varieties of grain such as rolled barley, organic rolled oats, rolled spelled wheat, rolled quinoa as well as rolled triticale. It is rich in protein, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, sodium that helps to sustain your day.
It makes a beautiful nutritious porridge that is considered as an ideal food for morning breakfast. Porridge is regarded as a classic nutritious cereal that strengthens the energy throughout the day. To make your porridge into a nutrition powerhouse you can add super-food ingredients from Opera Foods’ Boost Nutrients brand
Plum Foods offer a large variety of diverse recipes for Granola and Muesli that are majority organic or pesticide free. We also have another specialist brand called Mulberry Tree which deals simply wholefood Muesli and Granola only.
To Order products, in bulk, you can visit our parent company Opera Foods and avail great discounts and offers.
Crunchy Crispy Granola in the Morning Makes My Day More Happening
Spelt and Agave Nut Crunch organic granola is one of the crunchiest granola products out there. It is manufactured by Plum Foods Australia brand. Plum Foods are focused on being nutritious cereal producers as well as premium granola suppliers with majority organic ingredients. We deliver overnight to Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. The Spelt Agave Nut Crunch granola is quick as well as an easy nutritious whole food breakfast.
Our Spelt and Agave Nut Crunch organic granola is regarded as a nutritious gourmet granola that is low in suger with no added sugar. It is comprised of wholemeal spelt flour, organically grown oats, oleic sunflower oil, agave syrup, sunflower seeds, maple syrup, pesticides free almonds, currants, walnuts, sea salt as well as vanilla spices. Organic granola contains vitamin E, protein, fiber and it provides certain health benefits. The health benefits of consuming low GI healthy and crunchy granola include low cholesterol levels, increases energy, resist anemia and many more.
But it online from parent company Opera Foods who also distribute our healthy cereals to independent grocers.
Organic Rolled Oats A Healthy and Nutritious Breakfast Cereal
Organic rolled oats is a leading product of Australian cereal manufacturer Plum Foods that is grown organically. Organic rolled oats are rich in fiber as well as antioxidants they are among the best organic cereals.
According to the researcher, oats are considered as the healthiest breakfast cereal in Australia and is very low in gluten. Whilst Organic oats are not totally gluten free, Oats is very low in gluten and even some coeliacs can tolerate it. The researchers have suggested that people should have oaten porridge at breakfast as it increases the stamina of an individual. Organic rolled oats can be grown in cool, respective moist climate and it is suitable to grow in any type of soils that contain alkaline between 5.5 as well as 7.0. Organic rolled oats are grown pesticides free and it does not contain any respective chemical residues. Organic rolled oats are rich in fiber; therefore, it helps to lower cholesterol levels of an individual.
Plum Foods are wholesale granola manufacturers who pack and produce their own products. All our products have majority organic and/or insecticide-free ingredients which will help you in maintaining your healthy breakfast cereal diet. Buy Plum Foods organic oats here.
Granola Is a Healthy Eating Snack That Helps In Losing Weight
Granola is considered to be breakfast as well as a snack food that comprises of rolled oats, nuts, honey and some fruit for sweeteners but ours has no added sugar. During the period of making granola, several processes are followed for the production of organic wholesale granola. At the time of baking, respective mixtures are stirred well for the maintenance of respective cereal consistency in breakfast.
Sometimes dried fruits such as raisins, dates are added for making the texture good. People prefer to have granola with honey, yogurt, fresh fruits including strawberries, blueberries, bananas and it can be eaten with milk and several kinds of cereals. During the time of camping, hiking and backpacking, people carry granola as it is considered to be a nutritious, rich in calories, lightweight and it is also convenient to store during backpacking and hiking. The health benefits of granola include improvement of digestion, and blood sugar control from Low GI Ingredients.
Plum foods are a healthy breakfast cereal provider company. We have different varieties of Granola and Muesli products which are perfect for you to start your healthy breakfast diets including Gluten Free.