Bircher Müsli – A Classic Celebrates Its Revival

What used to be considered more of a boring diet food now ends up in a wide variety of variations and is reinterpreted on our breakfast tables. No wonder, because the power breakfast not only tastes good, but also gives you a lot of energy for your day.

The Bircher Müsli should not be missing in any good breakfast restaurant on the menu at the moment and is fully on trend again – and rightly so! The muesli has a rather long tradition.

Here you can find out everything about the classic cereal. In this article, we will explain why Bircher Muesli is as healthy as it was created, how you can prepare the muesli yourself at home, and much more.

What is Bircher Muesli?

Did you know that Bircher Muesli is only made from four ingredients and was originally eaten as a dinner? The original Bircher Muesli consists of oatmeal , nuts and apples, softened in some milk.

This simple mixture was discovered more than 120 years ago by a Swiss doctor named Maximilian Bircher-Benner . At an alpine hut, he is said to have been served the oat dish by the Sennerin at the time.

Due to the healthy effect , Bircher-Benner then recommended it to his patients as a diet food. He himself called the muesli creation simply "apple diet food," or simply "d Spys," which is Swiss and means "the food."

Bircher muesli then and now

In the past, however, Bircher muesli was not eaten for breakfast, as is customary today, but in the evening. Bircher-Benner wanted to bring his patients closer to a balanced diet with fresh fruit .

Today, Bircher Muesli is available in many different variations and flavors . Always reinterpreted, the dish is once again gaining popularity and is often seen as a cereal classic at the breakfast table.

Why is it called Bircher Müsli?

The Bircher Müsli owes its name to its discoverer, Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner. In his time, the Swiss doctor was a pioneer in the field of whole foods. The focus is on fresh and untreated foods as well as foods made from whole grains.

For him, as a representative of vegetarian raw food diets, the most important component of the cereal was not the oatmeal, but the apples grated with peel and core.

Make Bircher Muesli yourself

The original Bircher muesli, but also trendy versions of the original diet muesli, can easily be prepared at home. Here's the traditional Bircher Muesli recipe:

For the Bircher Muesli (4 servings) you will need:

Here's how:

You have to start preparing the Bircher muesli the day before. It is important that you soak the flakes in a bowl of water overnight. It's best to put them in the fridge to keep them nice and fresh. In the morning, you can take the porridge out of the fridge and stir in the milk.

For the original Bircher Muesli, the entire apple with the kernels and the core must be grated. However, you can also simply omit the cores if you want.

Now all you have to do is mix the grated apples and hazelnuts with the porridge. Finally, a small splash of lemon juice is added, and you can enjoy your original Bircher muesli.

Toppings and Variations

Of course, you can also vary the recipe and add different nuts ( cashew ) or fruits . Dried fruits, shredded coconut or various seeds such as flaxseeds or chia seeds are also particularly suitable as a topping . It's best to try different variants and decide what you like best. Try yogurt or fruit juice instead of milk .

For a vegan version , simply replace the milk with plant-based milk. You can easily make different plant-based drinks yourself, such as oat milk, almond milk, or cashew milk. This also adds a variety of flavors to your breakfast.

If you need to go fast, you can also use ready-to-use blends, such as our Verival Bircher Urkorn Muesli. You can prepare this either cold or hot.

For the cold version , it is best to mix it with some milk, yogurt, or fresh fruit. For a hot breakfast , simply bring milk or water to a boil and let the cereal steep in it for 10 minutes. Done! By the way, the original muesli is also available as a porridge version from Verival .

Is Bircher Muesli healthy?

At least his Swiss inventor Maximilian Bircher-Benner was convinced of the fact that Bircher muesli is healthy. But is the breakfast dish really as healthy as you think? – Of course, this always depends on the ingredients used for the cereal.

Let's take a closer look at the basic ingredients of oatmeal, apples, and hazelnuts:

Oatmeal keeps you full for a long time

Oats are not only healthy, but are also celebrated as a superfood. In the form of oatmeal, they give the Bircher muesli its base. Due to its high fiber content , the oats keep you full for a particularly long time. That is why oatmeal is also recommended for weight loss, as it satisfies hunger for a particularly long time and thus prevents food cravings.

In addition, oatmeal helps with digestive problems and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. This effect comes from the beta-glucans (a certain type of fiber) found in oats .

In addition, the consumption of oatmeal is intended to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, lipid metabolism disorders, and heart disease . Oats are a low-gluten cereal and are therefore usually well tolerated by people with gluten intolerance.

Apples provide vitamins and energy

It is not for nothing that it says "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." In fact, the apple contains a number of healthy ingredients such as fiber, important vitamins, and minerals. Among other things, apples contain vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Most of them (around 70%) are in the shell , which is why you should definitely not leave them out.

In addition, the apple is considered a supplier of trace elements and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. Like the oatmeal, apples support our digestion and help lower cholesterol levels. The fructose also provides you with quick energy in the morning .

Hazelnuts increase concentration

At first glance, hazelnuts are real calorie bombs. But if you look closely, the fats contained in the hazelnut turn out to be very healthy. These are unsaturated fatty acids and have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

In addition, the nuts are particularly rich in proteins. They are the perfect protein supplier, especially for vegetarians and vegans . The lecithin they contain also increases memory and concentration. The hazelnut is therefore considered to be true nerve food and helps our brain to peak performance in the morning.

How many calories does Bircher Muesli have?

Exactly how many calories Bircher Muesli has is not so easy to answer. Of course, depending on which ingredients you use, the nutritional values contained in your cereal will also change. Calculate your calorie needs now with Verival's free calorie calculator .

For example, our Verival Bircher Urkorn Muesli contains per 100g: