healthy Bircher Muesli

I've heard of muesli before but the first time I tried Bircher Muesli was at The Collins Quarter, a hip and trendy Melbourne-style cafe bar we tried for breakfast on our recent visit to Savannah. I liked it so much that when we got home, I went online asap to research more about it. I've been enjoying it for breakfast these days as an alternative to my usual steel cut oatmeal.

a colorful mix of thinly sliced strawberries, green apple and bananas

Bircher Muesli was developed by a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner back in the 1900s as a healthy meal idea for his patients. It eventually became popular as an easy breakfast dish. My bircher muesli variations are shown above and below.

Old-fashioned oats are soaked overnight in yogurt and water or apple juice, for more flavor and sweetness. For my version, I like to mix 1/4 cup of yogurt with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl. Reduce the amount of liquid if a thicker consistency is preferred. Add 1/2 cup oats and combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture overnight. The next morning, I top it with a tablespoon of honey, thinly sliced fruits (strawberries, banana and green apple are my favorites) and some toasted nuts.