Muesli - calorie content and composition. The benefits and harms of muesli

Starting the day with muesli is a good tradition for your body. From the very morning you will give him a boost of energy and get a lot of necessary vitamins and minerals. The calorie content of muesli is quite high, but a dish with milk or yogurt will keep you feeling full for several hours.

Almost 80% of breakfast cereals are cereals - grains or flakes of oats, wheat, rye. They add dried fruits, nuts, honey, chocolate and jam. Of course, the last two components will not bring too much benefit, but how delicious it is!

Dietary properties:

How many calories are in muesli, what dietary properties they have, all this is very interesting for those who are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor their health and figure. So we will try to answer these questions in the next article.

So here it is:

Muesli is essentially a mixture of ground bran and grains, which contains various additives. This dish owes its appearance to a Swiss doctor who invented it more than a century ago.

The benefits of this product are due to the fact that the grains in their composition are, as a rule, whole and unground. Namely, these grains have the greatest nutritional value. Muesli, among other things, is a rich source of vitamins E and B, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. They contain a lot of fiber, which is also beneficial. Fiber does not contain nutrients, but it helps to normalize digestive processes, improve the intestinal tract, and reduce cholesterol in the blood due to the fact that fiber interferes with the absorption of fats.

A bowl of muesli for breakfast is an excellent choice for those who would like to get rid of extra pounds. This food product successfully satisfies the feeling of hunger, since the dietary fiber from its composition takes a long time to digest in the stomach, which allows us to feel full. In addition, the easily digestible carbohydrates in them ensure optimal blood glucose levels for a long time - this will prevent you from overeating during the day.

What is muesli made with?

By changing the combination of grains, fruits and nuts, any flavor of the dry mixture is obtained. It can be eaten raw, washed down with fruit drink, coffee or tea. Adding milk, yogurt, juice, etc. to the dry mixture helps to diversify breakfasts. Let's figure out how to prepare muesli correctly and what combinations of products are most useful.

With milk

Dry muesli is poured with milk only if it has been previously heat-treated. These cereals are called baked or granola. It is also better to pour the so-called “raw” mixtures treated with steam with milk for a few minutes. In this case, they are better absorbed and do not have a “cardboard” taste.

If you prepared muesli yourself from ordinary cereals, for example, rolled oats, then you will have to soak them in milk for at least 1.5 hours. Both the taste and benefits of muesli in this case will be maximum.

If you are watching your weight, use low-calorie milk. At high energy costs, it is permissible to add 6% milk and even cream.

This method of preparation is absolutely not suitable for people with lactose intolerance. With age, the ability to process milk carbohydrates decreases, so eating muesli with milk is also not recommended after 30 years.

With yogurt

Adding yogurt increases the nutritional properties of food. It contains beneficial microorganisms that have a beneficial effect on digestion. This combination is especially suitable for athletes over 30 years of age, because lactose has already been processed by bifidobacteria. Another benefit of adding yogurt is that it improves the taste of the muesli. The flakes become soggy much less, and the granola retains its crunch and firmness. Many people find this way of eating muesli more enjoyable. The calorie content of the finished product is easily adjusted by the fat content and amount of yogurt.

With kefir

Kefir combines the properties of milk and yogurt. On the one hand, it softens dry cereal well, like milk. On the other hand, it has a denser consistency, typical of yogurt. It contains beneficial bacteria that convert (ferment) milk sugar into glucose. These cereals are suitable for athletes with lactose intolerance.

The calorie content of kefir is adjusted to suit sports goals. Low-fat fermented milk product is used by gymnasts, runners, etc. during regular training. High-fat kefir (6%) is added to muesli during the competition season.

With chocolate

Chocolate is a high-calorie product. It contains flavonoids, vitamins, antioxidants, and has a beneficial effect on the nervous, circulatory and digestive systems. This is a delicious product. Belgian and Swiss chocolate is especially good in taste. The bitter varieties of this product are the most beneficial.

Its use significantly increases the calorie content of the mixture. Athletes include muesli with chocolate in their diet during periods of increased energy expenditure.

With honey

Honey is much healthier than regular sugar. It contains not only glucose, vitamins B, K, C, E. Honey fructose is perceived as a sweeter product than sugar. Therefore, in small quantities it is used by athletes to reduce the consumption of fast carbohydrates.

The calorie content of honey is high. Adding a large amount of honey to the flakes increases the energy value of the dish. The benefits of such muesli are especially noticeable during the rehabilitation period (after injuries or operations).

from 140 to 450 kcal

Depending on their composition, which can be very different.

If you want fewer calories, buy a product without any additives or containing only fruit. It would be best to avoid “exotic” brightly colored pieces of fruit. The best option is pieces of apples, cashews, bananas or familiar raisins and other dried fruits. Components such as sugar, honey, and chocolate contribute to an increase in energy value.

What is the energy value of this product prepared in different ways? And here it is:

Calorie table for muesli, per 100 grams of product:

And the nutritional value of this product, prepared in different ways, is as follows:

Table of nutritional value of muesli (BJU), per 100 grams of product:

What dishes can be prepared with this product at home? Here is one of the recipes

Fruit muesli:

Products:

• Kefir (low-fat) or yogurt – 0.5 cups
• Mixture of dried fruits and nuts - 1 tablespoon
• Hercules flakes - 0.5 cups
• Seasonal fruits - 1 piece

Place half of the oatmeal in a large cup and pour half of the kefir (or yogurt) into it. Then - layer by layer - the remaining half of the muesli and kefir. The selected fruit is peeled, cut into cubes and decorated with it. Before serving the finished dish, let it sit in the refrigerator for a while.

If you don’t have enough time for breakfast in the morning, you can prepare them in the evening and place them in a plastic container. In the morning, you can take the container with the dish with you to work and eat it for your health.

The benefits of muesli bars

The main ingredient is oats, sometimes wheat, barley or rye are added. The benefits of cereal bars are obvious. In addition to cereals, seeds, dried berries, fruits, and nuts are added. For the binder, molasses or honey is used.

What benefits do hearty bars bring:

1. This is a great option for travel or travel. It is stored for a long time and does not take up much space. This is the main property. It can be eaten at any time. The bar will always satisfy your hunger, satiate your body and give you energy.
2. Its nutritional properties make it great for breakfast. They don't need cooking.
3. The composition of several components explains the high content of vitamins, fiber, and amino acids.
4. Whole grains contain coarse fiber. It is indispensable for the work of peristalsis.
5. Muesli bars for dinner when losing weight are an excellent alternative to sweets, chocolates, and cookies.

Muesli for weight loss:

It is really possible to lose weight with this product, but in order for the result to come, you need to follow several rules:

This is not a low calorie product. Of course, compared to cake, it has fewer calories, but it still has them. Therefore, when consuming it, you need to carefully monitor the amount of calories. It's best to write them down so you don't forget. The norm for the body is 1400 kcal per day;

You need to eat muesli in the morning. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. It should be much higher in calories than lunch and dinner. This is important because the metabolic process is more active in the morning. To avoid feeling hungry after breakfast, you should dilute them with low-fat kefir;

Don't limit your diet. Muesli is really intended for weight loss, but not for mono-diets. The body needs nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and meat. The main thing is not to overeat and count calories;

Sweets should be excluded from the diet. Such dishes can be consumed only when the desired weight is achieved, and then infrequently. But while losing weight, you should forget about them completely, otherwise you won’t get the desired result;

You need to drink water often. No method of losing weight will bring results without water. When using this product, you need to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, preferably still. Drinks with various flavors and flavor enhancers should not be drunk.

Is there really any harm from muesli and what is it?

Like any product, muesli can harm the athlete’s body. Let's look at typical examples of such situations:

1. Consumption of cereal by athletes during exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases. Muesli has a coarse structure, is not heat-treated and requires significant effort from the digestive system to digest. They provoke a deterioration in health, prolonging treatment. To avoid harm from corn flakes, they are excluded from the diet during exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. The use of mixtures that contain undesirable components. For each athlete their list is individual. For example, if you are gluten intolerant, you cannot use grain mixtures. Raspberries and citrus fruits are contraindicated for athletes with allergies. Honey and sweet fruits should be excluded from the diet of diabetics, etc.
3. Incorrect selection of caloric content of the mixture for the training schedule. If there is a significant discrepancy between calorie content and energy expenditure, an undesirable increase in fat mass will occur (if it is exceeded). If the nutritional value of the mixture is reduced due to increased loads, this will lead to exhaustion of the body and deterioration in athletic performance.
4. Excessive consumption of muesli. Standard mixtures do not contain vitamin C. Long-term use of such flakes leads to a decrease in immunity. The right approach to nutrition: adding freshly squeezed juices rich in vitamin C to muesli and eating cereal once a day.

How to prepare a healthy breakfast yourself?

The benefits of muesli with natural ingredients are undeniable. They can be easily prepared at home by adding seasonal fruits and berries, natural dried fruits and honey for sweetening. Basic rules for preparing healthy muesli:

1. Use a minimum of ingredients - just one type of whole grain and 1-2 additives are enough.
2. Avoid added sugar, fried and baked foods.
3. For refueling, take natural juices or plain water without gas.

If you use whole grains, you need to grind them first. A coffee grinder or home mill is suitable for this. You can purchase already ground grains, but they cannot be stored for a long time, otherwise they will lose valuable substances. Here is a tasty and healthy recipe: in the evening, pour 2 tbsp. l ground grains with the juice of half a lemon and 1 glass of clean water. Lemon juice prevents the growth of bacteria, but it is still better to leave the preparation in the refrigerator. In the morning, simply add ingredients of your choice, such as apple and pear slices. All you have to do is add water or juice to the mixture and breakfast is ready.