Is Muesli Good for Weight Loss?

Muesli is an oat-based cereal made by mixing seeds, nuts, dried fruits and oats. It has become a popular breakfast cereal or a healthy brunch option. You can either eat it by soaking or marinating it overnight.

Yes, muesli is good for weight loss. It has good fats and is loaded with fibres. As per studies, it has beta-glucans that helps reduce cholesterol. Plus, it has less sugar and is low on calories.

Muesli Benefits for Weight Loss

Muesli has fibres, protein and complex carbohydrates, which keeps one full for a long time. Here is what makes muesli best for weight loss:

Less sugar content than most breakfasts
Rich in antioxidants
Loaded with protein
High on fibre content
Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids
Low on cholesterol
Loaded with essential minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorous
A powerhouse of vitamins A, E, and K

Here are some muesli benefits for weight loss:

Easily digestible, which helps regulate gut health
Keeps your stomach full for a long time, thus avoiding further cravings
Reduces cholesterol
Improves heart health
Supplies essential nutrients
Keeps you energetic throughout the day
Benefits people with diabetes
Fights constipation

How to Eat Muesli for Weight Loss

The best muesli for weight loss is the one that is not roasted and has no sugar additives. Knowing when and how to eat muesli for weight loss is crucial as it affects the body.

For Breakfast:

Morning meal is important to kick start the day. It should have a good quantity of sugar, fibre and proteins. You can eat:

Muesli oats with fresh berries like strawberries and fruits
Muesli with honey, almonds, raisins, apricots, and pecans
Muesli with low-fat milk or skim milk to prepare porridge

For Lunch:

You can make your lunch more satisfying by adding a bowl of muesli. Add yoghurt, flax seeds and apples to twist the recipe. You can add or remove items as per your need. Also, carrots and beetroots go well with muesli.

For Dinner:

As muesli is a light and easy-to-digest meal, you can have it for dinner. You should modify the portions as per your needs. Pick ingredients that give the most out of muesli for weight loss.

As per studies, you must add muesli as a part of your daily eating routine to keep your weight in check. It is a perfect amalgamation of protein, healthy carbs, good fats, and fibres. Making muesli for weight loss at home is quick and easy. For this, you need:

4 cups dry oats or mixture of oats, quinoa, rye or barley
2 cups nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans and apricots
¼ cup of seeds like flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds
1 cup of dried fruits, raisins, and cherries

Mix all the ingredients mentioned above and store them in an airtight container. You can either use it to prepare a hot or cold meal. You can store and use it for one month at room temperature, and if you refrigerate it, you can use it for six months.

Before eating, soak it in milk or water overnight. It is best to avoid these mistakes when having muesli for weight loss:

Try to avoid ready-to-serve muesli with added sugar
Do not forget to combine muesli with protein
Avoid full-fat milk or full-fat yoghurt in muesli
Do not add extra sugar. It already has natural sugar in it

Muesli helps reduce weight, but many factors affect your body. Therefore, you should have a muesli diet as per your health needs and the advice of your consulting doctors.

References

Victor L Fulgoni, YiFang Chu, Marianne O'Shea, Joanne L Slavin, December 2015; Oatmeal consumption is associated with better diet quality and lower body mass index in adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2001-2010 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26494025/
D. El Khoury, C. Cuda, B. L. Luhovyy, December 2011; Beta Glucan: Health Benefits in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3236515/