I have a confession to make. My name is Martina and I have a breakfast cereal addiction.

I could eat breakfast for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have tried them all.  Wandering down the breakfast aisle in the supermarket is a walk down memory lane for me. Some people remember their holidays by different smells; the beach, the suntan lotion, the moisturiser they put on their sunburn…. I remember what cereal I had on holiday and reminisce over the taste, the crunch, the great way it started my day.

The crème de la crème of all cereals is muesli. It is just so versatile! Don’t have milk left? That’s okay, put some yoghurt on there! Fridge isn’t working? Mix it in with a can of fruit! Muesli is a problem solver.

Of course there is muesli and then there is Muesli.  And then there is The Muesli Bar.

Lisa recently started trading as The Muesli Bar from the Capital Region Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Word has got around, and she is now delivering to people’s workplaces during the week for their mid-week muesli hit! If Saturday mornings are a bit of rush for you, you can place your order online and simply pick up your ready-made order at the markets on your way out the door. With the vast majority of ingredients sourced from Canberra growers and traders, you are supporting many local businesses with your simple bag of muesli.

The idea is simple, whether you order online or at the market stall.  First, you choose the size of the bag you want. I recommend you buy the large bag, you won’t regret it.

Secondly, you pick your base; natural rolled oats, hand-toasted oats in Honey Delight honey and cinnamon or a gluten-free mix of quinoa flakes, rice bran straws and puffed rice. I can personally attest the toasted rolled oats base is not too sweet and is perfectly crunchy (with no added sugar or oil!)

The third step is the most difficult. Selecting your ingredients. The medium size bags contain the muesli base plus 5 choices of ingredients and the large bag contain up to eight choices. How can you possibly select just eight of these?

Amaranth puffs (gf), bran straws, bran, psyllium husks, quinoa flakes (gf), wheat germ, rice bran straws (gf), coconut, toasted coconut, cinnamon, chia seeds, sesame seeds, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, toasted almonds, toasted buckwheat (gf) currants, apricots, prunes, apples, dates, sultanas, figs, peaches, cranberries and just this week goji berries have been added as an option.

No matter what your dietary requirement or taste, Lisa will find a delicious and healthy breakfast to get your day started with a smile.  Moderation has never been one of my best attributes, but even when I weighed out my 30-40grams of muesli it still seemed like a lot of breakfast and it kept me full all morning.

I have tried making my own muesli before and there is no way that I could make it with as many ingredient choices with such freshness the way The Muesli Bar does. Or for under the price the bags are. Plus, you get the added warm feeling of supporting local small businesses and farmers.  These are all the considerations that ran through my mind yesterday when I had my second bowl of muesli for the day – for dinner…

the essentials

What: The Muesli Bar
When:  7.30am to 11.30am every Saturday
Where:  Capital Region Farmers Market at Exhibition Park or have it delivered to your workplace.
Web: www.themueslibarcanberra.com.au
Phone: 0419 199 567
Facebook: www.facebook.com/themueslibar