Bircher Muesli with Mixed Nuts

Bircher muesli with mixed nuts

Changes to Australia's Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs) for nutrients has seen the requirement for a number of nutrients increase, which begs the question: can we meet all our nutritional needs naturally through our diet or are supplements necessary?

Dr Katrine Baghurst, formerly of the CSIRO, has developed dietary models to determine which combination of foods best meets the new Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Her findings suggest that including nuts in the diet is very important for reaching required levels of many essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup sliced dried apricots
2 tablespoons sultanas
1½ cups apple juice
50g raw pecans
50g raw hazelnuts
50g raw whole blanched almonds
50g raw macadamias
1 medium red apple, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup low fat natural yoghurt
¼ cup skim milk
2 tablespoons honey (if desired)

Method:

1. Place the rolled oats, apricots and sultanas in a bowl and pour over the apple juice. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Place all the nuts on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, cool then chop roughly.
3. Add the nuts to the rolled oat mixture, along with the apple, yoghurt and milk. Stir until completely combined. Serve with a drizzle of honey if desired.

-Note: this muesli will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
-For a winter warmer idea, heat the Bircher muesli in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Serves 6

Nutrient content per serve Energy 1810kJ (430kcal), Protein 10g, Total fat 25g, Saturated fat 2g (8% of total fat), Monounsaturated fat 17g, Polyunsaturated fat 5g, Carbohydrates 43g, Fibre 6g