Overnight Oats vs Muesli: Difference and Comparison

Having a healthy breakfast is very important for every individual. Muesli and Overnight Oats are the type of breakfast that is very beneficial for the health and growth of the individual.

Both are very similar to each other; for example, they are rich in fibres and proteins.  

Key Takeaways

1. Overnight oats are a breakfast dish made by soaking oats in milk or yogurt overnight, while muesli is a cold cereal made from rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
2. Overnight oats have a creamier texture due to the soaking process, while muesli has a crunchy texture from the raw ingredients.
3. Overnight oats are eaten cold, while muesli can be eaten cold or warm, depending on personal preference.

Overnight Oats vs Muesli

Overnight oats are made by soaking rolled oats in milk or water overnight. It is rich in fibre and nutrients and contains no processed sugar. Muesli is a breakfast cereal with oats, nuts, grains, seeds and dry fruits. It contains processed sugar which makes it a high-calorie breakfast.

Oats are prepared at night by soaking the regular oats in liquid until it becomes soft.

It is cooked without heat, which takes some extra time to prepare. 

Muesli is a type of oatmeal dish containing ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, etc. It can be either eaten by adding liquid or without any liquid too.

Mostly it is consumed by adding liquid to it, which can be water, curd or milk. It is rich in fibre and nutrients.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Overnight Oats	Muesli
Definition	It is a type of oats which are soaked overnight in liquid.	It is a type of oatmeal dish which contains additional ingredients too.
Taste	It is normally sweet as it contains dried fruits and some seeds.	It is very beneficial to health as it is gluten-free and rich in fibre and nutrition.
Benefits	It is very beneficial to health as it is gluten-free and rich in fibre and nutrition.	It is slightly less beneficial to health in comparison.
Versatility	It does not have its taste; therefore, it is more versatile.	It is less versatile in comparison because of its sweet flavours.
Toxic substance	There is not even a single substance present which is toxic.	Toxic substances such as extra sugar, carbohydrate fats, calories are present.

What are Overnight Oats?

Overnight oat is cooked by soaking the oats (cereal grains) in liquid overnight until it becomes soft. It takes more time to cook than usual, as no heat is involved in the process.

It is considered one of the healthiest breakfast items around the world.

When the oats are soaked overnight, the starch in them breaks down, and it also decreases the natural phytic acid present in it, helping the absorption of nutrients in the body.

Overnights Oats can be beneficial in the following ways:

1. The rich fibre and Nutrient content: Oats, in general, are very rich in fibre, but when they are soaked at night, the nutrient content fibre increase.
2. Having overnight oats can fulfil most of the fibre required in the body. 
3. Helpful in Digestion: Overnight oats are very helpful in digestion as the oats’ starch is broken down. It also increases insulin and decreases the level of phytic acid in the body.
4. All these are very helpful in the digestion process.

Along with all these, overnight oats are considered a versatile breakfast that helps reduce weight.

What is Muesli?

Muesli is a type of oatmeal dish based on rolled oats with ingredients such as grains, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.

It is eaten as a cold dish soaked in any liquid such as water, milk or yoghurt for some time until it becomes soft. 

It is very rich in proteins and fibre, which leads to the healthy development of a person.

It can also be eaten as raw as it is sweet. 

The following are the benefits of Muesli:

1. Rich in nutrients and whole grains: Muesli is a type of oatmeal, and in addition, it contains other ingredients that are very rich in nutrients, fibre and whole grains.
2. Reduces cholesterol level: muesli reduces the cholesterol level, which results in a healthy heart; therefore, any person’s heart who consumes muesli as a breakfast item tends to have a healthy heart than any other person who doesn’t consume it.
3. Also, additional items can be added to it, for example, lemon for vitamin C for additional benefits for the body.
4. Rich in Proteins: Muesli contains ingredients such as chia seeds, grains, dried fruits, nuts, etc. which are great sources of proteins. The human body requires proteins in a reasonable amount, and muesli fulfils that requirement.
5. Helpful in weight loss: after consuming a healthy breakfast of muesli, a person does not feel hungry anytime soon and gets digested easily compared to most other breakfast items.
6. Therefore it also helps in losing weight.

Main Differences Between Overnight Oats and Muesli

1. Oats are soaked in liquid overnight, whereas muesli is a type of oatmeal based on rolled oats.
2. Unless there is some extra addition to the Overnight Oats, it tastes the same as the simple oats, just softer, but muesli is sweet due to some additional ingredients.
3. Overnight oats are more beneficial to health than muesli as they have no oil-toasted ingredient.
4. Anything can be added to the Overnight Oats making it more versatile, but it is not the same in the case of muesli as it already contains extra sugar; anything additional must not contain any sugar resulting in making the muesli less versatile. 
5. Overnight Oats don’t have any substance that can cause any harm to health, whereas muesli can be considered unhealthy as it contains extra sugar, carbohydrates, fats, and calories, which is not required; it also contains ingredients that are grilled in oil.

References

1. https://www.yumi-organics.ca/blogs/myth-busters-1/the-truth-about-carbs
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/1602747