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10 best mueslis for a healthy start to the day
Here are the fruit and nut cereals that impressed the Good Housekeeping Institute
Finding a tasty and nutritious breakfast cereal to start the day with can be a tricky balance. The benefit of muesli is that it combines healthy carbohydrates, in the form of oats, with protein-rich nuts and tasty dried fruit (which count towards your five a day!).
Which muesli is healthiest?
High in fibre and whole grains, if you’re looking for the healthiest muesli, we’d recommend opting for one with no added sugar. While not quite as heart healthy as porridge, the variety in the blend should mean you don’t get bored as quickly.
You can also read our full round up of top-rated breakfast cereals, where the Good Housekeeping Institute tried 118 different types!
What do you eat muesli with?
For a quick, healthy breakfast, simply serve with ice cold milk. However, if you’d like to mix up your breakfast repertoire, you could also try adding a dollop of nut butter, yoghurt and fresh berries.
How we test muesli
Our panel of 10 experts and consumers tried 10 different varieties of fruit and nut muesli to see which provided the most satisfying start to the day. They were looking for bowls with plenty of flavour, and a good combination of chewy fruit and crunchy nuts.
These are the ones to stock your kitchen cupboard with...
Score: 88/100
Our winning muesli is packed with pecans, almonds, oats and coconut chips — proving breakfast from a box, needn't be boring. Testers loved the granola-style chunky texture, too.
Score: 85/100
It's a big claim, but Rude Health has created exactly what it says on the box — the ultimate muesli. The panel enjoyed the natural taste, picking out the powerful hazelnut and unique puffed rice as highlights. The assortment of ingredients — fruity apricot, crunchy seeds, quinoa flakes and more — ensure a pleasingly varied texture.
Score: 77/100
This classic blend of wholegrain oats, sweet sultanas, sunflower seeds, flaxseed and tart cranberries, also happens to be gluten-free. Equally delicious topped with greek yoghurt or milk.
Score: 75/100
Perfect for those with a sweet tooth, Kellogg's has combined a classic muesli mix, with cornflake pieces for extra crunch. The dried fruit adds a brown sugar note, yet some found a salty element too.
Score: 72/100
Already signed up to a regular Mindful Chef recipe box? We'd recommend adding the brand's muesli to your order, to ensure you're sorted from breakfast through to dinner. It contains ancient grains such as amaranth, as well as gluten-free oats, cranberries, seeds and punchy goji berries.
Score: 72/100
Overnight oats are ideal for busy mornings, and this ready made pack makes it even easier. Testers described this bowl as rich and buttery, with complexity coming from chunky raspberry and desiccated coconut. The large oats are gluten free, and just as delicious with apple juice, yoghurt or milk.
Score: 72/100
The combination of wholegrain oats, bitter rye and crunchy seeds, results in a more savoury flavour profile, with plenty of texture. The touch of honey adds a little sweetness, and pairs well with the faint nuttiness, for an overall "healthy" tasting bowl.
Sharpham Park Spelt Muesli Date & Coconut 450g
Score: 71/100
With plenty of chewy dates and coconut chips, this spelt-based bowl is on the sweeter end of the spectrum. Linseeds add a lovely texture, and the bitter spelt adds balance.
Score: 70/100
It's reassuring to know there is no sugar whatsoever in this organic bowl of goodness. Nutrient-rich oats, nuts and grains are the base, leaving you free to add flavour with toppings of your choice.
Score: 70/100
With every day items such as muesli, it's important to get great value, and this 1kg bag from Tesco fits the bill perfectly. Although light on oats, the toasted malt flakes add a delicious biscuity depth, while the whey powder adds creamy richness.
These also passed...
- Lizi's Super Muesli Focus 400g, £4.25, 70/100
- Alpen Muesli No Added Sugar 550g, £2.50, 70/100
- Holland & Barrett High Protein Muesli 500g, £2.79, 70/100
- Jordans Berry Burst Muesli 800g, £3.60, 70/100
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.
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