Many of us love our morning bowl of muesli. Not only does muesli taste great, it’s great for us, too. Right? Well, maybe not. An article in the New York Times addressed muesli’s path from unsweetened food in the 19th century to modern, sugary cereal. Museli was created in 1863 by health reformer Dr. James Caleb Jackson, who ran a sanitarium in New York. Dr. Jackson advocated vegetarianism, and his original recipe for muesli (he called it granula) consisted of unsweetened bran nuggets soaked in milk. Dr. Jackson’s recipe was eventually stolen—and sweetened—by the Kellogg brothers, one of whom started the cereal company we know today. As muesli became increasingly popular, cereal makers continued to add more sugar to make it as appealing as possible. The result, according to some nutritionists and even the USUSFDA, is a grain-based dessert, not a health food.

That’s not to say you should avoid all muesli, as certain brands add little or no sugar. Just be wary of some popular brands—which may contain more sugar than protein by weight—if muesli is part of your everyday breakfast routine. Or, consider making muesli yourself: with a little sleuthing, you should be able to find a sugar-free or low-sugar muesli recipe.

Source: New York Times