Birchermüesli on the Trail
I love the outdoors, but I hate packing our picnic lunch. I could make some lovely salads or dips or other “perfect Pinterest picnic” items. But after cleaning up dinner on Friday night, I’m exhausted and I want a break on the weekend just like the rest of the family. So instead of spending hours preparing an elaborate spread, we usually just stop at a convenience store on our way to the mountains and grab the typical assortment: bread, cheese, salami, chips, apples, salted nuts and motivational gummi worms. I fondly call it the “picnic lunch of champions.” If we plan to build a fire, we just swap the lunchmeats out for the equally nitrate-laden sausages. With the amount of hiking we do, I wonder how our bodies have endured such a poor weekend diet?
I desperately needed to change our routine. Step one was swapping in some healthier alternatives for the junk food. Homemade popcorn only takes a couple of minutes and seems to satisfy the paprika chips craving. My kids find dried fruit, especially mangos, an acceptable substitute for candy, though I still bring “emergency” lollipops. I always bring veggie sticks and require these to be eaten before I break out the junkier stuff. I try to focus on an assortment of cheese and skip the deli meats altogether, with varying success. Instead of store-bought cookies, I bring homemade cookies, still sweet but at least I know what went into them. I’ve frozen lots of cookie dough, already shaped in balls, so I can bake them straight from the freezer and have fresh cookies in 15 minutes.
All that was a step in the right direction, but as much as I love cheese, it was getting a little repetitive. Unless I already had some packable leftovers, like lentil salad, I wanted something healthy for my own lunch that I could throw together in less than five minutes as we’re running to the car, with stuff I might already find in my kitchen. So I started bringing Birchermüesli on my hikes, and I couldn’t be happier. It turns out to be a perfect choice, because the oats need time to soak in the milk/yogurt before you can eat it. Plus, I add in frozen berries that a) need time to defrost and b) keep the mixture cold until I’m ready to eat it a few hours later. Sometimes my kids will eat it and I’m always happy to share.
There are endless flavor combinations for Birchermüesli, or muesli or “Overnight Oats” as some in the English-speaking food world call them. Take a look at Pinterest for more recipes than you can possibly make in a whole summer. I’ve tried a bunch of these and while they were mostly delicious, I’m still partial to the classic, with simply fruit and a sweetener. My quick and simple instructions are below. But if you want to branch out, here are a few other flavor combinations I’d recommend:
- Seven yummy combos on Another Root
- Cocoa-Banana on My Fussy Eater
- Peanut-Butter Banana on Domesticate Me
- Pina Colada on Happy Food Healthy Life
Recipe: Berry Banana Birchermüesli
This same recipe can be used for an overnight soak. But for picnics, assemble it in the morning, before going out. By lunchtime, it should be just right for eating. I usually mix it directly in the food storage container that I will use to transport it later. I prefer to pack mine in a mini cooler bag (like these) that fits in my backpack, but I’ve done without and survived. Makes 2 small servings.
1 c. oats or other “Bircher Müesli” grain mix
¾ c. (180 ml) milk, rice milk, almond milk or oat milk
½ c. (120 ml) plain or flavored yogurt
1-2 Tbs. honey, maple syrup or other sweetener (not necessary if using flavored yogurt)
½ c. or more frozen berries
½ banana or other fruit, diced
2 Tbs. mixed seeds and/or nuts, toasted and chopped
Mix together oats, milk, yogurt and sweetener, if using. Add frozen berries and other fruit. The mixture might seize up and get very thick because of the frozen berries. Don’t worry and add lots more milk; it will get soupier as the berries defrost and oats soften. Scatter the seeds and/or nuts on top, which allows them to retain some crunch as the other ingredients soften. Pack it in secure food storage container, keep cold if possible, and wait at least an hour before eating. When you are ready to eat, mix it all together and enjoy. Don’t forget to pack a spoon!
By Tanya Deans
In addition to feeding her two growing boys 3+ meals a day, Tanya runs the website Moms:Tots:Zurich, which focuses on hiking with kids in Switzerland and other family-friendly activities in and around Zurich.
