Cereals, seeds, fruit, nuts are a mine of easily digestible vitamins and minerals. It's all in muesli. Try to compose such a mixture yourself. Really worth! Thanks to this, you can control the calorie, fat and sugar content of muesli.

We used to eat plain porridge, then cornflakes -muesliwe discovered relatively recently. Today we can choose from a variety of mixtures containing cereal seeds, which have been enriched with many other additives. A statistical Pole eats almost a kilogram of them a year. This is twice as much as 10 years ago. However, it is still more than half less than the German, who has similar eating habits, and six times less than the Englishman.
Muesli provide a large dose of energy, which comes mainly from complex carbohydrates beneficial for the body. They also contain a lot offiber , vitamins, mainly from B group, and their combination with milk enriches the meal with calcium. An additional advantage is the relatively low fat content. Raw and dried fruit added to muesli are a source of vitamins and minerals, which include affect the balance and regeneration of the intestinal flora. Thanks to this, proteins and B vitamins contained in milk are easier to digest.

How to choose good muesli?

We can choose from mixtures of oat, corn, barley, rye and wheat flakes. Among the additives, the most common are dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, linseed, bran, chocolate, honey. How to find yourself in this thicket? When choosing muesli in the store, you must carefully read and analyze the information on the packaging.

Firstcalories . The fewer the better. The norm is 300-370 kcal per 100 g of flakes. Of course, it's best to choose those that are at the lower limit of the norm, but without exaggeration. Avoid muesli over 400 kcal. If you absolutely want to eat them (because they taste great for us), you need to take a smaller portion and mix it with bran (only 185 kcal per 100 g).

Secondly, sugar. He decides which calories are good and which are bad. We need slow sugars (those that provide energy for a long time), not fast ones. Meanwhile, some flakes, especially chocolate ones, have as much as 38 g of fast sugars! This is way too much. The best muesli are those containing 25 to 30 g of sugar, and for those who careo line low sugar (up to 20 g in 100 g).

Third, fats. Flakes classified as slimming or dietetic have 2 to 5 g of fat per 100 g. For comparison, some muesli contain as much as 20 g - it is much too much. The less fat the better.

Fourth, fiber. Finally something that can be a lot! Good muesli has 7 to 10 g of it. Less than 3 g of fiber is definitely not enough. However, people with sensitive intestines must be careful about this ingredient - some flakes have up to 27 g of fiber, and even 15 g of fiber can be harmful to sensitive ones.

Important

Around 1890, John H. Kellogg, a young American dentist, decided to improve the diet of his patients. So he crushed the grains of wheat and maize, steamed them and browned them in the oven. This is how he created the famous cornflakes. On the other hand, the inventor of muesli (in 1906) is the Swiss doctor Bircher Benner. He was inspired by the customs of mountain ancestors who mixed milk, oat grains and berries in their morning and evening meals. To this day, the dictionary definition of muesli reflects this old recipe: muesli is a dish made of oatmeal drenched in milk and fresh, grated fruit or specially prepared dried fruit.

Compose your own muesli

Muesli differ not only in taste. Depending on what their main ingredient is and what the additives are, the flakes have different benefits and effects.

  • Oats: they are the richest in proteins and fats, and therefore the most caloric. It doesn't mean they are bad! Oats are good energy plus magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin B1 which regulate metabolism. Good for people who work physically and are tired, especially in winter and in the early spring.
  • Corn flakes: They are rich in magnesium, iron and vitamin E. Good for children.
  • Barley: a good source of minerals. They are low in protein but high in minerals: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and magnesium, and vitamin D. Perfect for kids and teens.
  • Żytnie: regulate the metabolism. Rich in vitamin PP, as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, fluorine and calcium. Recommended for people who care about the line.
You must do it

Watch out for traps

Calories - manufacturers can put information on the composition and energy value for a portion of 100 g or, for example, for 30 g on the packaging. If you do not want the muesli meal to be too caloric, use your own counter:

  • for a child of 6-10 years, 30 g of cereals and 125 ml of milk will suffice,
  • for children aged 10-12 45 g muesli and 200 ml milk,
  • for adults 60 g of milk and 200 ml of milk.

Enrichment - some flakes are enriched with vitamins and calciumin such amounts that a portion of 30 g sometimes covers even 75 percent. your child's daily requirements for these ingredients. But these products also contain sugar - so it's better not to give them too much to your baby.

Processing - the more fanciful the forms the petals have, the more processed they have been. This proves that the raw material, e.g. corn grain, had to undergo a long processing and various substances - not always beneficial to he alth - were added to it. Pay particular attention to the addition of hydrogenated vegetable fat, which contains harmful saturated fatty acids.

Choose the best muesli toppings

You can compose muesli as you like, combining flakes with sliced ​​nuts, dried fruit, grains.

  • Figs have a laxative, anti-ulcer, antibacterial and anti-parasitic effect.
  • Dates contain a lot of sugars, protein, carotene, as well as vitamins E and B (without B12), calcium, iron and phosphorus. They bring relief in constipation.
  • Nuts are an excellent source of essential fatty acids (EFAs), especially linoleic and linolenic acids, and vitamin E. They are also rich in phosphorus and magnesium. They have a positive effect on the work of the brain, improve memory and well-being when we are tired. Pistachio nuts are an excellent source of iron, hazelnuts, vitamin E, and Italian EFAs.
  • Almonds have a lot of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin A and E.
  • Apples are rich in fiber, which gives a feeling of satiety, does not irritate the intestines, binds fat and toxins.
  • Raisins contain B vitamins that improve the metabolic processes of the nervous system, while the presence of potassium means that they can lower blood pressure.
  • Dried plums have a positive effect on the digestive tract, regulate digestion, and prevent coronary heart disease and cancer.
  • Bananas soothe the stomach, especially good for indigestion. They protect the stomach wall from the harmful effects of acid and prevent the formation of ulcers.
  • Linseed is the most effective natural medicine in stomach diseases. It improves the ability to concentrate. In addition, it is a treasury of vitamin E, which is a natural antioxidant.
  • Sunflower seeds have a perfect composition for the heart: low in carbohydrates, lots of iron, magnesium and B vitamins.

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