Bircher Brekkie

Serving Bircher Muesli in a Bowl

Breakfast like a king they say! That's all very well on the weekend when there is enough time to prepare but not so running from the early morning workout, to the shower to work!

It's all to easy too to get into the habit of buying breakfast every morning - doorstop wedges of toast with butter and jam takes away all the hard work of my gym slog though.

So, it has to be something to take to work and I found a great solution. Bircher Muesli! Apparently the soaking of the oats in juice activates the enzymes which is good for you? I just think it tastes great! Shop bought Muesli can be packed with sugar. This recipe's sugar content at least comes from the dried fruit rather than any added sweetening. Why make your own muesli if only to add some "not so fresh" juice so  I opted for freshly squeezed orange.

My Tupperware-full of Bircher Muesli

I sometimes make a big tupperware at the start of the week and take a few spoonfuls of the muesli out to take to work. Alternatively, sometimes I make up the dry ingredients in advance and take a half cup of that in a mini tupperware with half a squeezed orange. I let that soak overnight and add a few scoops of yoghurt before rushing out the door.

You can add grated apple, a couple of sliced strawberries or even a small handful of frozen mixed berries to the tupperware. They have defrosted by the time I get to work making a perfect accompaniment!

Dry Bircher Muesli Ingredients

Bircher muesli

2 cups oats
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup currants or raisins or sultanas
Juice of 3 oranges
250g unsweetened yoghurt

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl or tupperware container.
• Squeeze the oranges and add the juice to the oats,seeds, dried fruit mix.
• Stir to combine.
• Leave for an hour or overnight for the juice to be absorbed.
• Add yoghurt and mix well.
• Serve as desired (see ideas above)

Biggest Winner

Chicken with Herbed Yoghurt

We have just embarked on Michelle Bridge's 12WBT - 12 weeks of healthy eating, daily exercise and total mindset overhaul. Being a foodie, I was a bit reluctant to commit to someone else's menu for weeks, but so far so good. The food has been right up our alley so far.

On Monday we took the leap of faith, not only on a new menu, but on the weather and had our first salad of the season. The char grilled chicken and leaves were boosted by a delicious herb dressing. Normally I'm not a huge fan of yoghurt dressings, but this was so disguised that it really worked!

Beef strips with Corn, Capsicum Salsa

Tuesday was a take on Mexican. The rump steak that looked surprisingly small in the packet was delicious and juicy, and worked so nicely with the roasted capsicum and corn. We probably left it resting a little too long, as it cooled down a bit, but was delicious nonetheless. Looking at it, you'd never guess that was a cut down portion, highlighting how much our portion control was really out of control!

Thai Fish Cakes

The Thai Fish Cakes were also a winner. I've made fish cakes before and always forget how easy it is. Mish's recipe was so tasty and fresh, without too much fuss. Instead of the recommended salad of bean sprouts, I made a quick stir fry using similar ingredients  which went as nicely with the fish cakes as I'm sure the salad option would have.

 I'm looking forward to tonight's treat, Lasagne! Not necessarily known for it's weight loss properties, this one has a fraction of the mince and triple the veg, but the "meat" mixture looked surprisingly similar to the meat packed version we're used to!

The food looks vibrant and I've enjoyed the push to portion control without being hungry! Whilst the outcome may be that I become a big LOSER, at the moment, I'm feeling pretty happy that these recipes I've committed to for the next 12 weeks are a winner!