I made this for The Chef as a change from his normal weet bix after a surf. I always leave little creations that I have cooked, out on the bench for him to just ‘discover’. I heard him come home and all was silent for a good 5 mins, until I heard him proclaim

”It’s just so crunchy and delicious!”

Recipe

Now you know me by now. I really am a ‘throw it all into a bowl’ kind of girl and that’s what you should do with this muesli. Don’t get worried about proportions. Just throw it in, and add your own unique combinations too.

• Sunflower seeds
• Slithered almonds
• Wheatgerm
• Oats
• Cocoa
• Sesame seeds
• Olive oil
• Shredded coconut
• Cranberries
• Chia seeds
• Orange Zest
• Rice bran syrup or honey (it’s up to you how much you use).

Method:

• Line a baking tray with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil
• In a bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients together.
• Pour contents of bowl onto the baking tray.
• Drizzle with the rice bran syrup or honey.
• Bake in a hot oven 200 degrees celcius for approximately 30 mins, taking the tray out every 10 mins to stir the ingredients in order to prevent burning.
• Each time you stir the ingredients, drizzle more honey/rice bran syrup and a tiny bit of olive oil, and pop back in the oven.
• When the muesli mix is browned all over, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
• Add the remaining ingredients – cranberries, chia seeds, orange zest, and coconut.
• Enjoy!

Leaving the chia seeds until last means the heat will not destroy the omega 3 oils.

Adding the orange zest makes the muesli oh so scrumptious.

Substitute cranberries for sultanas or dates.

How about giving the muesli to your favourite friend as a ‘I care about you’ gift as pictured below.

Nutrition

Everything about this muesli screams ‘I’m going to be feeling fantastic after eating this!’

Every ingredient used is packed full of fibre to keep a healthy digestive system and prevent cancer.

The beta glucans in the oats help to lower cholesterol, as does the vitamin E content of the sunflower seeds. The vitamin E is also essential in keeping skin, hair and nails healthy and is a wonderful antioxidant to prevent free radical damage to cells. Oats can also reduce blood pressure and reduce blood sugar levels and at the same time, provide long lasting energy for a busy day.

The sunflower seeds contain heart healthy polyunsaturated fats and phytosterols. Sesame seeds and almonds are also high in phytosterols.

Both the sesame and sunflower seeds are a rich source of tryptophan, my favourite essential amino acid. Once eaten, this little marvel gets converted into the ‘feel good hormone’ serotonin which helps to regulate our mood and sleep.

The wheatgerm and oats are high in vitamin B for energy, and both the wheatgerm and the chia seeds contain iron.

The chia seeds also contain high amounts of protein and omega 3 oils which are essential for keeping skin healthy, reducing inflammation and protecting our heart from heart disease.

Cocoa contains high amounts of potassium which is crucial for keeping our blood pressure under control. It also contains iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, and phosphorous as well as small amounts of calcium, zinc, selenium, riboflavin and niacin.

This is actually just the tip of the iceberg. I have listed only the basics here and would love to go into it further, although it would turn out to be a textbook.

Take home message – This stuff is good for you!

Stay happy and healthy…

The Nutrition Guru

While you’re here, take a quick peek at our other recipes:

• Chocolate Chia Seed Cake (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)
• Delicious Date and Cocoa Bites with Chia and Sesame Seeds (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)