The benefits and harms of muesli for breakfast for weight loss. What are the benefits of muesli? What is muesli? Calorie content, composition, preparation, harm

Muesli is a favorite breakfast of millions of women around the world who hope to always stay in excellent physical shape and good spirits thanks to the magic mixture. Manufacturers are actively promoting muesli as an option for a complete balanced healthy breakfast, which mothers willingly feed their children. Is this really true or are we being fooled again? Muesli benefit or harm? Let's try to loosen up, i.e. think about it and bring some clarity.

Physicians on the qualities of dry breakfasts

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Muesli: what? where? when?

Muesli, in the form in which we know them, was created and popularized more than a hundred years ago by the Swiss naturopathic doctor Max Bircher-Benner. Walking the Alps, he met a shepherd who generously shared with him his modest food - porridge from ground wheat seasoned with milk, honey, blueberries and strawberries. As it turned out, the shepherd eats a miracle gruel almost every day twice a day, and his father and grandfather gave him the recipe. In his 70s, the shepherd has never been to the hospital and continued to do housework and walk the mountain slopes for hours without any problems. Having somewhat improved the composition of muesli, Dr. Benner introduced them into the daily diet of his patients.

Muesli is a combined product based on oatmeal, as well as crushed grains of rye, wheat, barley or rice. All the charm of muesli lies in delicious raisins: fresh and dried fruits, berries, nuts, honey and other additives.

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Weigh the pros and cons

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Useful properties of muesli

Muesli is a complex product rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and a host of other useful substances. All this can literally give a person a morning boost of vivacity and energy.

The usefulness of muesli lies in the fact that the cereals included in muesli are usually whole and unground, and this allows you to save all their nutritional value. Muesli is rich in B vitamins and vitamin E, as well as such trace elements as iron, magnesium and calcium.

Oat flakes during heat treatment form a slightly slimy mixture that normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dried fruits are rich in vitamin A and B vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium. And nuts contain a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for the body.

Muesli is an ideal option for overweight people. The dietary fibers included in the muesli are digested rather slowly, thereby dulling the feeling of hunger. At the same time, fiber activates intestinal motility, helping to eliminate harmful cholesterol, toxins and toxins. In addition, fiber prevents the absorption of fats.

Simple and complex carbohydrates are in muesli in a balanced proportion, which helps to avoid jumps in blood glucose, which are caused by eating sweet and starchy foods containing mainly simple carbohydrates.

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Harm of a useful mixture

Muesli will benefit only if their composition is natural and balanced. A wide variety of flavors help manufacturers to attract consumers: from honey and chocolate to exotic tropical fruits. This is where the measure and caution should be observed. Coconut flakes, chocolate, honey filling are high-calorie supplements that, when used regularly, do not quite fit into the concept of dietary nutrition and also leave a mark on ... the waist. Therefore, if you care about the harmony of the figure, try to choose muesli only with whole grains, without heavy additives and sweeteners. It is desirable that only dried fruits give sweetness.

The harm of muesli can also be found in the exotic fruits included in their composition, which can be treated with sulfur-based preservatives, which is fraught with undesirable consequences primarily for people with allergies, diseases of the stomach and kidneys. Especially the bright color of dried fruits should alert. The best option is to independently enrich the muesli with those fruits and berries that are right for you.

To eliminate the harm of muesli, carefully study the composition of the product. Pay special attention to the presence of vegetable fats, which may contain saturated fatty acids that are harmful to the cardiovascular system.

A significant drawback of muesli is a very low content, and even the complete absence of ascorbic acid, i.e. vitamin C, necessary for the normal functioning of the body and strong immunity. That is why muesli is recommended to be consumed with freshly prepared fruit juices.

If you look well, good and bad can be found in any product. And yet, muesli is more of a benefit than a harm, but, like any other product, they should be consumed in moderation: 30-50 g per day. As for the rest, I would like to wish only one thing: be vigilant and your muesli will only benefit you!

Muesli is considered one of the most popular breakfasts in the world. They have long won the love of adults and children. But are they really that useful? To understand this dish, you need to delve into its history, appearance, invention, modern recipes, additives, as well as the presence of nutrients and calories.

Let's see if muesli is useful? What are they and how to eat them correctly? You will find answers to these questions in the article.

What is muesli?

Muesli - what is it? Are they helpful? To prepare this dish, cereals are flattened or ground so that they are as small as possible and easily soak even in cold milk or juice. In ready-made packages, you can often find pieces of dried strawberries, bananas, cranberries or even oranges, but in classic recipes, only dried fruits, such as raisins, dried apricots or dates, are added to cereals, and fresh fruits and berries are added before consumption. This is the only way to extract the maximum nutrients from this dish, since dried berries, and even more so an orange, can rarely provide much benefit. Also in classic recipes, nuts and various seeds are sometimes added. But the latest supplements are not suitable for everyone due to the high calorie content and the presence of an allergen.

Depending on the composition, the presence of various additives, as well as the processing method, they are of several types. Raw does not require heat treatment, they contain flattened and frayed cereals and additives that do not require cooking. Such a product only needs to be poured with milk or something else, cold or warm. This is enough to make the dish ready to eat. Baked muesli requires heat treatment. They should be poured with milk, and then put to bake, only then they are suitable for food.

A bit of history

Muesli - what is it and when did they begin to be eaten? Breakfast was invented in 1900 by Maximilian Bircher-Benner. Initially, they were intended for sick people in hospitals, hence the name, which is translated from German as “mashed potatoes”. Since the 1960s, they began to spread around the world. Thanks to its taste, usefulness, a large amount of nutrients, as well as the speed of preparation, this dish quickly gained worldwide fame. Since that time, many manufacturing companies have appeared that have begun active competition in the market.

Although the competition is considerable, most firms specialize in different types of muesli. Some are exclusively for diabetics, others are simple (cereals and a couple of dried fruits), others are richer, but less healthy, with various exotic fruits, coconut flakes, chocolate and other fillers that are far from conducive to proper nutrition. It was because of the emergence of such diversity that their usefulness began to be questioned.

Muesli: calories and composition

The composition of muesli is quite simple. Usually these are some cereals, crushed and flattened: barley, buckwheat, wheat, rice, oats, rye, millet, and so on. All kinds of dried fruits are added to them, such as dried apricots, figs, raisins, dates or prunes. As well as nuts or seeds. All this is mixed and packaged in bags.

Fresh fruits and berries can be put in cooked muesli: strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, and much more that can be found in the refrigerator. In addition, it is useful to add any nuts and seeds, but in reasonable quantities. Measure plays an important role here. Since this dish is usually used for breakfast, you need to maintain a balance in the amount of certain products. Nuts are quite heavy on the stomach, like seeds, so they need to be added in small quantities.

Is muesli dietary? Calorie content is estimated on average at 352-450 kcal per 100 grams, provided that the composition includes only cereals and dried fruits. But most often, chocolate, honey, sugar are also added to branded packages, which significantly increases the already large figure. Muesli, the composition of which we examined, is a rather heavy product. But this is far from accurate data. On the packages of the finished product, you can see the calorie content, usually it is standard, but if you make muesli at home, then this figure can be significantly adjusted by adding lighter and less high-calorie berries, cereals, nuts. This is the reason for the attention to them of people who want to lose weight. The dish allows you to get the maximum of nutrients in the morning, while its nutritional value and calorie content can be controlled.

Benefit

What are the benefits of muesli? Many nutritionists and chefs recommend them for breakfast, and during the working day, this is a good way to have a snack and endure until dinner.

Complex carbohydrates protect the intestines and prevent the development of tumors in it.

A wide vitamin and mineral composition significantly improves the immune system, has a positive effect on nerve cells, the general well-being of a person, and also improves mood and body tone. The composition usually contains vitamins of groups A, B, C, E, PP, etc.

What else is muesli good for? It has been proven that with regular use of this dish, after a while, the appearance of the hair improves, the nails become stronger and less exfoliate, the skin acquires a healthy color, acne appears less often, age spots, wrinkles are smoothed out.

Harm

Can muesli be harmful? What is this product and how useful it is, we have already figured out. Now let's talk about its negative side. Muesli does not bring harm by itself. But all kinds of additives, dyes, seasonings cause the undesirable effect of such a breakfast on the human body. Therefore, in order to avoid most contraindications, it is better to carefully read the composition or make them yourself. Overweight people, children, as well as diabetics and allergy sufferers should be more careful when choosing this product. You should also carefully read the instructions for people with any diseases of the heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and so on. The presence of harmful products in the composition can lead to bad consequences.

Therefore, for people with any diseases, as well as overweight and diabetes, it is advised to make muesli on their own at home in order to avoid a large amount of dyes, additives, berries and fruits that are harmful in one way or another. Freshly prepared muesli will be much more useful, if only because only high-quality and fresh products were used for them. The fried product is quite heavy on the stomach and can harm the elderly and people with gastrointestinal diseases, so they need to be chosen with more care.

People with diabetes should avoid muesli with dried fruits, sugar, chocolate, and certain types of berries and fruits. At the same time, you should not completely abandon the dish, you can make it yourself, adding only healthy berries and sucrose, sometimes honey, if the sugar level is not high.

Muesli: cooking

There are two types of muesli: instant and long-lasting. The first is enough to fill with milk, even if it is cold. The second ones need to be baked, again, pre-filling with milk. Oddly enough, but it is the latter that are considered less useful, since they are often fried before being packaged. This makes the product heavier and more caloric. But in reasonable measures, it is unlikely to harm the body.

To make homemade muesli, all you have to do is buy oatmeal (or whatever you like). You also need a couple of types of dried fruits. Here you can build on the preferences of the body and on the desired effect. For example, figs and dried apricots perfectly support the heart, raisins and dried apricots are useful for the brain and liver, dates perfectly support the nervous system. As for nuts, they also have their own characteristics. Hazelnuts, for example, are good for the brain, pistachios - for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, almonds are recommended for cores, and walnuts contribute to overall human health. In general, paying attention to such things, you can create your own unique and very fresh. Fresh berries can be added to a freshly prepared breakfast, which will further enrich the dish.

For weight loss

Is it possible to eat muesli for weight loss? What is muesli, what is their composition - we already know. From what has been said, certain conclusions can be drawn. Given the high calorie content, muesli is rarely recommended for those who want to lose weight. However, if you follow a few simple rules, they will not only help you lose weight, but also allow you to keep your body in good shape throughout the entire period of the diet.

You should do them yourself, at home, so you can track and control the calorie content and, if necessary, add or remove certain products from the composition.
It is better to make the composition minimal: one or two cereals and a couple of additives from fresh berries, fruits or dried fruits.
A couple of times a week, you need to add nuts and seeds to them to replenish the supply of B and E vitamins, as well as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
They should only be eaten for breakfast. So you will allow the body to get the maximum of useful substances in the morning and replenish the supply of vital energy. And the calories that were eaten in the morning will have time to be spent throughout the day.
To get the maximum benefit, you need to fill them with low-fat dairy products, juice or compote, watching their composition and calorie content, and never add sugar and chocolate. They can be replaced with a little honey.

With what and how to eat?

What do you eat muesli with? The dish is most often consumed for breakfast. But they need to be filled with any kind of drink: milk, compote, juice, kefir, yogurt, water. Which of these will be the most useful? To answer this question, you must first decide on the goal that you want to achieve with their help. For example, if a person wants to lose weight, it is better for him to fill this dish with low-fat dairy products or water.

What do children eat muesli with? Toddlers who prefer flavor over health can use yogurt or juice. But it is important that the juice is homemade or at least of high quality. Compote is suitable for a change. The calorie content of compotes can be controlled, so they will not hurt, of course, if they do not contain sugar.

Muesli has a number of positive and extremely negative qualities. Their benefits have long been proven, but with disproportionate or improper use, such a breakfast is more likely to harm than heal. Therefore, it is important to approach the choice correctly, but it is better to make them yourself and monitor their composition and calorie content. You can use this product and it is useful no more than 3 times a week.

Muesli (muesli) is a breakfast of ground cereals, bran, pieces of fruit and seeds. It is prepared very simply - the mass is poured with warm milk, natural yogurt or low-fat kefir. Cereals absorb liquid, soak - and that's it, breakfast is ready! But many are interested in whether it is possible to use muesli for weight loss, eat them for stomach problems, and in general, how useful or harmful they are. Let's figure it out.

The inventor of the muesli product was the Swiss doctor Max Bircher-Benner. In 1900, he met a shepherd during a walk, who treated the doctor to an unusual composition of porridge - it was seasoned with milk and fresh berries. As the shepherd admitted, the use of the product throughout life helped to get rid of diseases forever.

For Bircher-Benner, this story became an example, and he began to recommend the dish to patients. So muesli became popular among those who lose weight due to its nutritional value and fairly low calorie content.

The benefits of muesli

Muesli is a cereal, but with certain additives: fruits, dried berries and nuts. The composition of the product may also include bran, honey and wheat germ.

There are two types of muesli - baked and raw. The first ones are prepared according to a special recipe: cereals are first mixed with fruits and honey, and then they are baked in the oven at a high temperature. Raw muesli is a more dietary product, as it contains less sugar. They are prepared by grinding cereals and adding nuts, seeds and fruits.

In large stores, the shelves are bursting with types of muesli, and the price for them is not so high. The mixture is produced in transparent bags and boxes.

Some experts argue that muesli can be considered as an alternative to fast food. The product is very slowly absorbed by the body and does not allow spikes in blood glucose.

The inclusion of "miracle porridge" in the diet will contribute to the normalization of metabolism and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Complex carbohydrates regulate blood glucose levels.

Muesli useful for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis and hypertension. Weight loss cereal mixture helps:

strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
maintain the level of hemoglobin in the body;
increase the speed of the reaction of the brain and increase concentration;
regenerate liver cells;
restore the nervous system;
improve mood, as carbohydrate food contributes to the production of the hormone of pleasure - serotonin;
cleanse the body of harmful substances - toxins, salts and radionuclides.

Flakes contribute to the maintenance of good skin and hair condition, are a source of energy during heavy physical exertion and diets.

Composition and properties

In addition to wheat bran, oat flakes, barley and other useful crops, corn and rice balls are sometimes added to muesli. The semi-finished product includes potassium, cobalt, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements.

Fruits that are added to the mixture contain vitamins that are useful for the body. Nuts, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also good sources of extra protein.

The composition of the mixture includes the necessary body:

minerals;
cellulose;
alimentary fiber;
vitamins A, B, K, E;
fatty acid.

calories

According to experts, a mixture of cereals of this type is a storehouse of slow carbohydrates, which are indispensable in the diet of a person who is losing weight. But at the same time, the calorie content of the product is not so low - 350-400 kcal. per 100 g

Eat muesli for breakfast, but never for dinner - late in the evening or at night.

Harm muesli

Useful properties of the product can spoil the individual substances that some manufacturers add. These are sweeteners, vegetable fats, preservatives and dyes.

Can muesli adversely affect our health? Yes, such an effect will occur, but only if:

Oatmeal is fried with the addition of a large amount of sugar and honey. This cooking method does not make the product healthy, because fast carbohydrates are bad for our figure.
The flakes were heat treated.
Muesli contains vegetable fats, such as palm oil, which is strictly prohibited for people with heart disease and vascular problems.
A serving of muesli contains a daily allowance of salt, which makes this product prohibited for hypertensive patients.

Ideally, a weight loss mixture should take the following formula: three varieties of grains that have undergone a pressing process, and useful additives. The percentage of cereals and fillers should be 80/20. It is these "correct" muesli that will help with weight loss.

A serving of one meal with a mixture should not exceed 50 g. Otherwise, you will not lose weight, but, on the contrary, gain weight.

Option in bars

It is known that a bar is a great product for a snack during a working day or study. They well saturate the body with the necessary substances, give energy and maintain a feeling of satiety for a long time. Muesli in bars replace those harmful foods that we used to snack on - chocolate, sweets, cakes, etc.

Muesli in bars is not a replacement for protein bars!

They are made by mixing dried fruits, whole grains, nuts and sweeteners. The mixture is pressed and packed into briquettes.

Originally prescribed by physicians for specialized treatments, it has become so popular that it has been used as a snack by athletes and those seeking a beautiful and healthy body. However, manufacturers like to stuff such a snack with various kinds of stabilizers, dyes and flavor enhancers.

Therefore, world nutritionists categorically forbid losing weight to eat muesli bars. It is better to buy a classic grain mixture, which does not contain the above components.

Do not abuse muesli bars, as they contain substances harmful to the figure and health!

Baked muesli

The second name for such a product is granola. It is added to various dishes and desserts that can be eaten while losing weight. For example, a small portion of granola is mixed with whipped cream, decorated with berries. That's it - a delicious and healthy dessert is ready!

Homemade baked muesli is very easy to make. Chopped nuts, dried fruits and grains are mixed with honey, olive oil and freshly squeezed juice. Then spread on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes over high heat. You can also use a frying pan for this - the principle of cooking is similar.

Additional components

Those who began to use such mixtures in their diets observed improvements in bowel function and normalization of metabolism. This is due to the fact that muesli contains useful trace elements.

Cereals and oatmeal

This is the base of the dish. Only raw or processed cereals are used for it. When exposed to heat, the flakes become crispy and palatable. And in their raw form, they are poured with milk, water or kefir mixture to make them softer and tastier.

Raw muesli is healthier, as it retains valuable substances for the body. Therefore, experts recommend choosing this type of cereal mixtures when losing weight.

Candied fruits and dried fruits

Pieces of dried fruits and berries make fresh cereals more appetizing, enrich the product with vitamins and minerals.

With proper nutrition, you can eat muesli with any kind of fruit. But for weight loss, it is better to choose such a cereal mixture, which includes apple, pear, dried apricots.

Seeds and nuts

Despite the fact that nuts and seeds are a high-calorie product, for a long time they remain almost the main component of muesli.

This is due to the fact that they contain oils that are so useful for maintaining the shape of the breast while losing weight. The main condition for the nuts were not roasted.

Unwanted Ingredients

These additives include harmful sweeteners, dyes, preservatives, flavor enhancers and other chemicals that unscrupulous manufacturers add to the product.

Read the ingredients on the package carefully. So you can protect yourself and loved ones from unwanted consequences.

To get all the beneficial properties of muesli, purchase the product from trusted manufacturers.

How to enter into the diet

Eating muesli several times a day is not advisable. It is better to use a breakfast product when the body is in such need of additional energy to activate its vital functions.

How to eat cereal to lose weight? Here is a list of a few simple rules:

Eat muesli for breakfast when losing weight.
If necessary, you can add fruits and berries to the cereal mixture.
To make the usual porridge out of the dish, pour it with warm milk or natural yogurt.

Experts assure that harmony is achieved with a calorie deficit and sports loads. Therefore, if you only eat muesli with kefir for breakfast, you will not notice a significant result. Better observe and do sports or fitness, then you will get a slim body.

A product made from mashed cereals, seeds and pieces of fruit has long won the hearts of adherents of proper nutrition. The discoverer of muesli, the benefits of which were confirmed later, was the Swiss doctor Max Bircher-Benner. In 1900, during a walk, he met a shepherd, who treated him to an amazing porridge seasoned with milk and fresh berries.

Having learned that the shepherd eats this dish all his life, and does not know the word "disease", the doctor suggested that the patients apply his diet. Everyone who took the advice noted the nutritional value of porridge, and the energy that appears after eating it. The dish became popular and its dietary qualities were appreciated by ladies who want to gain a slender waist.

The calorie content of 350–400 kcal per 100 g of the mixture raises doubts: is it possible to eat muesli while losing weight? Note that this is a storehouse of slow carbohydrates, indispensable in the fight for a slim figure.

Chemical composition of the product:

cellulose;
fatty acid;
minerals;
vitamins: A, K, E, B;
alimentary fiber.

It is based on flakes or bran from wheat, oats, barley and other crops. Sometimes corn or rice balls are added to them. Semi-finished products from whole grains include: potassium, magnesium, cobalt, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements. Medicinal properties vary depending on the type of cereal. Oatmeal contains easily digestible proteins and organic acids.

In addition to microelements and vitamins, wheat contains pectins that destroy pathogenic substances and stop putrefactive processes in the intestines. Rye is inferior to wheat in protein content, but surpasses it in the amount of high-molecular (slow) carbohydrates.

In addition to cereals, the dry mix includes pieces of dried fruits that saturate the body with vitamins. They also add nuts or seeds of pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and flax. They give the product a piquant taste and become an additional source of protein.

"Miracle porridge" for health

The inclusion of the complex in the diet contributes to the normalization of metabolism and the functioning of the digestive tract. The balance of simple and complex carbohydrates regulates blood glucose levels and prevents the appearance of malignant tumors.

Muesli is useful for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and atherosclerosis.

They provide:

ridding the body of toxins, heavy salts and radionuclides;
restoration of the nervous system;
strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
improvement of the thyroid gland;
regeneration of liver cells (hepatocytes);
maintaining hemoglobin levels;
increased concentration and reaction speed.

Flakes have a beneficial effect on the condition of hair and skin and become an indispensable source of energy during a diet or exercise.

"Friends" of a slender waist

The dietary fibers that make up the structure of cereal cells are so dense that it takes a lot of time and calories to digest them. There is a load on the intestinal walls, the result of which is an improvement in peristalsis. The feeling of satiety excludes snacking between meals.

In addition, the fibers absorb excess fluid and remove it from the body. Fiber speeds up metabolism, preventing the formation of fatty deposits. Recommendation for those who are used to eating muesli for breakfast - the benefits and harms of this diet depend on the grain processing technology. Flakes are made in two versions: raw and baked.

The first is treated with an infrared beam. It will take more time to prepare them, but all vitamins and trace elements are preserved in them. The latter are not suitable for dietary nutrition due to their high energy value.

For effective weight loss, flakes are consumed in the morning. The daily norm is 35-50 g.

For refueling use:

mineral water without gas;
fat-free yogurt or kefir;
natural juices from citrus fruits.

Another dietary requirement is calorie counting. In combination with dressing, the energy value of one serving will be 150 kcal.

To speed up weight loss, you need to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, and avoid sweets.

Selection criteria and menu

Deciding on the question: are muesli useful for weight loss, nutritionists came to the conclusion that the decisive factor is the additional components and the method of preparation. A high-quality mixture consists of three types of pressed grains. Their amount is 80% by weight. The remaining 20% are fillers.

To fight for a slim figure fit:

fruits (apples, pears);
sour berries;
dried fruits;
nuts, seeds;
candied fruit.

Starchy fruits: Dried bananas, dates, raisins are not recommended. Prohibited ingredients include chocolate chips or sugary icing. Milk, sugar and honey also reduce the dietary properties of the dish. The diet is recommended to be supplemented with cottage cheese, boiled vegetables and sour-milk drinks.

Unwanted Ingredients

Muesli in the morning is the choice of those who care about their figure and health. However, choosing a product to taste, you should look at the information on the package.

There is no place in the right and healthy dry mixes:

flavors;
flavor enhancers;
vegetable oils;
artificial dyes;
sweeteners and salt.

The complex, which includes candied fruit, should be chosen carefully. An expensive component is faked by adding wallpaper paste, masking it with a cheap dye. Another dangerous ingredient is pieces of exotic fruits. To increase the shelf life they are treated with sulfur. Such a preservative will provoke allergies and disrupt the functioning of the stomach and kidneys.

The third component that reduces the benefits of muesli is roasted nuts. Heat treatment deprives them of 10% of valuable oils and leads to the formation of substances that accelerate skin aging. To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is better to add nuts or seeds separately by calcining them in the oven yourself.

Having studied the composition, it is important to pay attention to the ratio of JBU. 100 g of dry weight contains: 13.4 g of fat, 11.3 g of protein and 67.1 g of carbohydrates. If the indicated figures on the package are higher, the product is not dietary.

To reduce the energy value of the dish, it is recommended to choose cereals without fillers and cook them with the addition of boiled or fresh vegetables, fruits or berries.

Minimum restrictions

There are few contraindications for a mixture of whole grains. They are allowed during pregnancy, breastfeeding and in old age.

Obstacles to their use are:

Celiac disease is an atrophy of the intestinal mucosa due to intolerance to gluten and gliadin present in cereals.
Allergy to product components.
Chronic diseases requiring a special diet. The presence of bran in the diet is undesirable for ulcers and gastritis, and dried fruits are contraindicated in patients with diabetes.

Eating muesli every morning is not worth it. Excessive intake of fiber causes bloating and abdominal pain. In addition, an abundance of carbohydrates provokes the opposite effect - weight gain. Mono-diets based on them are unacceptable, as they lead to disruption of metabolic processes and digestive failure.

The following drawback has not been scientifically confirmed, but scientists are inclined to believe that hard grains harm tooth enamel. The risk of damage increases when combined with orange juice. An acidic environment negatively affects the surface of the enamel, and solid components increase the load on it.

The healing qualities of porridge from cereals have been proven, but to get them to the fullest, attention and moderation are needed.

I'll start with the statement that the vast majority of ready-made muesli is a harmful product. This statement may be categorical, but it is true. If you look at muesli with a sober eye, then there are several problems. But first, let's define the types of muesli. And there are only two of them. Muesli can be baked or fried (granola), and also raw, from whole grains. Muesli bars stand separately. Everything is clear with the bars - they are baked and soaked in a large amount of sugar syrup. Some muesli bars are topped with "chocolate" or sweet yogurt. Chocolate is in quotation marks, because. This frosting has nothing to do with chocolate.

Muesli is baked or fried with vegetable oil and a sweetener (sugar syrup or honey). If you are not the first time on this site, then you can guess what lies here. harm muesli №1. What kind of oil did the manufacturer use? Not extra virgin, of course. This is something not expensive and odorless, i.e. cheap refined oil. And as you know, . The exceptions are coconut, palm and olive. Any refined oils are also dangerous.

Sugar syrup or honey isn't really that bad, unless you're trying to lose weight. After all, many people choose muesli as a dietary product. But fried muesli is not such a product.

Things are a little better with raw muesli, but they are.

Harm number 2: candied fruits and dried fruits. If we consider candied fruits and dried fruits by themselves, then they are certainly useful. A good dried fruit is obtained from a quality fruit, fully ripe, undamaged, dried in the shade without chemical treatment. This is a premium product, but such dried fruits are quite expensive and you still need to look for them on sale. Good dried fruits do not enter mass trade and are definitely not added to muesli. Cheaper dried fruits are added to muesli. They are made from broken fruits, scalded in caustic soda and stoned with sulfur dioxide (sulphurous anhydride) so as not to rot. Such processed dried fruits have an attractive bright color. Candied fruits from exotic fruits are not only smoked with sulfur, but also littered and sometimes stained. It turns out such a candy - beautiful, tasty, but not useful at all.

All of the above is important, but not paramount. The main harm of muesli is whole unprocessed grain. Or rather, not the grain itself, but our inability to handle it. Whole grains are considered to be healthy: they contain many vitamins, proteins and minerals. But the human body is not able to fully assimilate all this wealth without special processing. Any vegan raw foodist who eats, among other things, grains and nuts, will confirm that this cannot be eaten. Many novice raw foodists have been pinned on this. The proteins contained in cereals are very difficult to digest. Not without reason, in the last 100 years, the number of people suffering from gluten intolerance (gluten is a generalized name for proteins found in many cereals) has increased dramatically. And all this is mainly because nutrition has changed a lot over the past century. An important role began to play the speed with which you can cook food. The traditions of cooking that have been developed over the centuries have changed. But for this you have to pay something. And humanity pays with health.

I have already written about the dangers of fast-cooking oatmeal porridge and will not repeat myself. Details can be found in the article "". And muesli differs little from oatmeal, because oats in them are one of the most common ingredients. Muesli also often includes wheat flakes, puffed rice, corn, etc. Everything that is true for oatmeal is true for other cereals.

Do you want to benefit from cereals,.

Leads to sad thoughts and the shelf life of ready-made muesli. Cereals or whole grain flours cannot be stored for a long time. After 3 months, fats will go rancid under the influence of light, heat and oxygen in the air. And ready-made muesli is stored for at least a year. This means that the grain there is not alive at all, but has undergone preliminary heat treatment. And if so, then the vitamins there are almost all destroyed. Those vitamins that survived after heat treatment will disappear during storage. So this grain no longer carries any special benefit.

Where is the benefit?

After all, there must be at least some benefit. Minerals do not break down over time and do not suffer during heat treatment. Yes, minerals are indeed preserved, but the presence of * in muesli makes them inaccessible for absorption.

* Phytates - substances found mainly in cereals, legumes and nuts, which prevent the body from absorbing many micro and macro elements (for example, iron, calcium, zinc, etc.), and also interfere with the production of digestive enzymes.

Cellulose! At least something good remains in muesli! But fiber transits through our gastrointestinal tract, helping the intestines work. It's not a nutrient. The nutritional value of purchased muesli is 0. Alas.

The image of muesli as a useful and healthy product is actively supported by advertising. And people believe that it is tasty, fast and healthy. But muesli is the same product. And manufacturers are interested in buying cheap raw materials, processing them faster and cheaper, hiding them in beautiful packaging and selling them at a higher price, getting the maximum profit. No one is interested in the fact that they bring real benefits. And it takes time to soak the grain. And this is the time to postpone the moment of profit for the manufacturer. And why make unnecessary movements if people are used to believing advertising?

Should I give muesli to children? This question worries many parents. So muesli and adults should not eat. And for children, especially young children, regular consumption of muesli can result in, for example, rickets or anemia. Why? Read again the article about oatmeal or pro phytates - it describes the binding and leaching of minerals (calcium, etc.)

And yet, I want to say that I also met conditionally edible muesli on sale. I will not name the manufacturers. I don't get paid to advertise. Let me just say that this is a premium segment with a price of more than 400 rubles per pack. If you read the label carefully, you will see the words “toasted and malted flakes” or “fried and malted flakes” on edible muesli. This option is already available. True, there was also a “fly in the ointment” there. And in the package I found, dried apricots were subjected to sulfitation (the same preservative is sulfur dioxide). Of course, there is not much of that dried apricots in a serving of muesli, but God only knows how much more you eat in a day.

Summing up, muesli will be the most useful:

from whole grains that have not undergone heat treatment,
with the addition of seasonal fruits and/or berries,
with the addition of natural dried fruits without dyes and preservatives,
with the addition of a small amount of nuts or seeds.
with natural sweeteners in the form of honey, dates or syrups.

Really healthy muesli can only be prepared with your own hands. But the process is quite laborious and requires special equipment. I do not know how to make muesli at home without manual or electric. But if you love muesli and your health is dear to you, then on our website you will find many muesli recipes for cooking at home.