Muesli: Nutrition, Added Sugars, Oats and Gluten, and How to Eat It

Muesli is a raw, unbaked mix of rolled oats and other grain flakes with nuts, seeds and dried fruit, eaten with milk or yogurt or soaked until soft. USDA’s food database has no entry for muesli, so this guide says so plainly and shows USDA values for its usual ingredients instead, clearly labeled. It covers muesli nutrition, how it compares with baked granola in USDA data, added sugars on the label, oats and gluten, tree nut allergens, a fair answer to whether muesli is healthy, and how to eat muesli, including bircher muesli soaked overnight.

Peptide Labs does not sell muesli or breakfast cereals. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is muesli?

Muesli is built on rolled oats, often with flakes of wheat, barley or rye, plus chopped nuts such as almonds and walnuts, seeds such as pumpkin seeds or chia seeds, and dried fruit such as raisins. Unlike granola, it is not tossed with oil and sweetener and baked into clusters, so it stays loose and dry in the bag. Store-bought mixes range from plain oats and nuts to versions with sweetened fruit, chocolate or honey-coated pieces, which is why the ingredient list matters so much. Our oats guide covers the main grain in detail.

Muesli nutrition: why USDA has no entry

USDA SR Legacy, the database this site uses for food values, has no entry for muesli. A search of all 7,793 foods in SR Legacy’s April 2018 release found no food with muesli in its name, so we do not give muesli values. The table shows USDA values per 100 grams for typical muesli ingredients, with homemade granola for comparison. These are not muesli. Percent Daily Values (%DV) use FDA reference amounts; total sugars have no Daily Value.

Per USDA portion, a third of a cup of dry oats (27 grams) lists 102 calories, 2.7 grams of fiber (10% of the Daily Value) and 43% of the Daily Value for manganese. An ounce of almonds (23 kernels) adds 164 calories, 3.5 grams of fiber and 18% of the Daily Value for magnesium, and an ounce of raisins (about 60) adds 85 calories and 18.5 grams of total sugars, all in USDA data. A muesli’s numbers depend on its mix: more oats push fiber up, while more dried fruit and nuts push sugars and calories up. A packaged muesli’s own Nutrition Facts label is the place to check its numbers; our fiber guide explains the Daily Value for fiber.

How muesli compares with baked granola in USDA data

There is no USDA muesli entry to compare directly, but the ingredient values show where the difference lies. Per 100 grams, USDA lists 24.3 grams of fat and 19.8 grams of total sugars for homemade granola, against 6.5 grams of fat and 1.0 gram of sugars for dry oats. Granola gets that extra fat and sugar from the oil and sweetener used to bake it, which a plain oat-and-nut muesli leaves out. A muesli heavy in dried fruit and nuts can still land close to granola, so compare labels rather than names. Our granola guide covers the baked version in full.

Added sugars and the muesli label

The Nutrition Facts label separates total sugars from added sugars, and the difference matters for muesli:

• Fruit sugar is not added sugar: FDA says added sugars do not include the sugars naturally found in milk, fruits and vegetables, so the sugar in plain raisins counts in total sugars only.
• What does count: FDA counts sugars added during processing, table sugar, sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices as added sugars, which covers sweetened dried fruit, honey clusters and syrup-coated flakes.
• The Daily Value: FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Reading the word includes: FDA explains that the word includes before added sugars means they are already counted in the total sugars figure.
• Dried fruit: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 say dried fruits with no or very limited added sugars can be good options.

For more on spotting sugar on labels, see our foods high in sugar guide.

Is muesli healthy?

Is muesli healthy? A plain muesli is mostly whole-grain oats, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 say to prioritize fiber-rich whole grains. In USDA data, its usual ingredients bring fiber from oats and nuts, magnesium and manganese, and very little sodium. Nuts and dried fruit make it calorie-dense, though, and sweetened mixes add sugars that FDA counts as added sugars.

The fair summary: muesli is as good as its ingredient list. A mix led by oats, with nuts, seeds and unsweetened fruit, matches the Dietary Guidelines’ whole-grain advice; one led by sugar, honey clusters or chocolate is closer to a sweet cereal. For other fiber sources, see our high-fiber foods list and our foods high in magnesium list.

Muesli, oats and gluten

• Gluten grains in the mix: NIDDK lists wheat, barley and rye as the grains that naturally contain gluten, and many mueslis include flakes of one of them, so they are not gluten-free.
• Oats in the FDA rule: FDA’s gluten-free rule, 21 CFR 101.91, defines gluten-containing grains as wheat, rye and barley and their crossbred hybrids; oats are not on that list.
• Cross-contact: NIDDK says cross-contact between oats and grains that contain gluten is common and can make oats unsafe for people with celiac disease, so people who eat oats should choose ones labeled gluten-free.
• The 20 ppm line: under FDA’s rule, any unavoidable gluten in a food labeled gluten-free must be below 20 parts per million.
• Ask first: NIDDK advises people with celiac disease to talk with a doctor or registered dietitian about whether to include oats. Our foods with gluten guide lists common sources.

Tree nuts and other allergens

• Tree nuts: tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pecans are one of FDA’s nine major food allergens, and FDA says labels must name the specific type of tree nut.
• Wheat and sesame: wheat and sesame are also major allergens under FDA rules, and some mixes contain wheat flakes or sesame seeds.
• Shared lines: read the ingredient list and allergen statement on every mix, and talk to an allergist about what a may-contain note means for you.
• What you add: milk, including yogurt made from it, is also a major allergen under FDA rules, so plant milks such as oat milk are an option for people avoiding milk.

How to eat muesli

Muesli is flexible, and the texture changes with how long it soaks. Some easy ways to serve it:

• Bircher muesli: stir muesli with milk or Greek yogurt and grated apple, cover and refrigerate overnight; by morning the oats are soft and creamy.
• Quick bowl: pour cold milk over muesli and let it sit for a few minutes before eating, the way you would a cereal.
• Warm bowl: simmer muesli in milk or water like porridge until thick.
• Yogurt topping: sprinkle a spoonful over yogurt with fresh berries.
• Make your own: mix rolled oats with chopped nuts, seeds and unsweetened dried fruit, so you control the sugar.
• Storage: keep muesli in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, since nuts and seeds can turn stale.

For a salty snack built on refined flour instead, see our pretzels guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Pretzels: USDA Nutrition, Sodium, Enriched Flour and Gluten Facts, Oats Benefits: USDA Oatmeal Nutrition, Beta-Glucan and the FDA Claim, Granola: Is Granola Healthy? Nutrition, Calories and Sugar, High Fiber Foods: USDA List of Fruits, Vegetables, Beans and Grains.