Better_Nutrition_September_2017

(^14) • SEPTEMBER 2017
trendWATC H
Back in the late ’60s, I came across a red
and white box of “healthy” breakfast ce-
real. Called muesli, this mélange of whole
grains, nuts, and fruit was a big deal
among my more earthy friends.
Fast-forward a few decades, and
“healthy” food is no longer just for hippies.
Muesli is similar to granola, but with
one signifi cant diff erence—it’s raw, not
toasted, and therefore, doesn’t need fat
and sugar to hold it together. Invented by a
Swiss doctor for patients in his sanatorium
in the Alps, muesli is high in fi ber and
rich in antioxidants, and it’s a good source
of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
And that brings me to Seven Sundays
Muesli. From locally sourcing plant-based,
nutrient-dense, non-GMO ingredients
to following environmentally sound
practices to giving back to the community,
Seven Sundays seeks to redefi ne the
American breakfast.
The People
Hannah and Brady Barnstable were
former Midwesterners living life in the
fast and fashionable lane in New York
City—Hannah was an investment banker,
Brady was an environmental consultant.
Then their honeymoon took them to
New Zealand for a six-week hiking and
camping adventure that eventually
turned their lives upside-down. Because
most of their vacation mornings started
with an unfamiliar but increasingly
desirable local favorite: muesli with
farm-fresh milk or yogurt.
Returning to the Big Apple, they
discovered they were no longer satisfi ed
Muesli Magic
Seven Sundays Muesli
seeks to redefine the art
and grace of the American
breakfast /// By Neil Zevnik
Neil Zevnik is a private chef in Los Angeles who tends to
the culinary needs of the rich and famous; blogs about
food, nutrition, and the environment for The Huffington
Post; and volunteers with marine mammal rescue
whenever he can. Learn more at neilzevnik.com.
with the pace or direction of their
lives—and they just couldn’t fi nd any
decent muesli either!
The Passion
Hannah’s “aha! moment” came while
standing in a crowded cereal aisle in
Manhattan and realizing how few
brands off ered what she was looking
for—a way to start the day right. “And
just like that, I knew what I was going to
do—leave my career in fi nance and build
a company that fl ipped breakfast on its
head.” So the couple moved back to their
home state of Minnesota.
As an environmental consultant,
Brady already knew the importance of
sustainability and responsibility. So he
focused on the big picture; as he notes,
“The cereal aisle, and breakfast in general,
in the U.S. need a complete overhaul. We
decided to tackle it head on!” And though
the obstacles are many, his optimism is
unshakable. “This is a very exciting time
to be in natural food.”
It started with a local farmer’s market in
Minneapolis and grew slowly from there.
For Hannah, the most important thing is
“the ingredients—simple, unprocessed,
high-quality, and sustainably sourced.” And
Brady loves the fact that, “I get to work
side-by-side with my partner in life, doing
something that doesn’t feel like work.”
And for both of them, the goal is “to build
a company with a focus on transparency,
community, and sustainability.”
Hannah has the fi nal word: “Our
products change people’s mornings for the
better. What could be more motivating
than that?”
Minneapolis-based couple Hannah and Brady Barnstable started Seven Sundays Muesli as a
way to find balance in their own lives and help bring it to others.
the Passion
behind the Product