I have recently started a new job that just happens to have
a lovely café downstairs. The down side is I am trying to make healthier
choices when it comes to food so I found myself jealous of Co-workers who take
up the $5 coffee and muffin deal. This was the inspiration to try my hand at
healthy baking.
When it comes to baking often flour, sugar and butter are
the staple ingredients. Well after scouring the internet I have found a healthy
banana bread recipe which I baked for the second time in a week yesterday. So
here is my recipe.
Ingredients
2 ½ mashed ripe bananas (approx. 300g)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda +1 tablespoon of lemon juice (to
activate it)
2 cups of almond meal
¼ cup chia seeds
Handful of walnuts for decoration
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Lightly oil a loaf
tin and coat the inside with extra almond meal to stop the bread from sticking.
2. Mix together banana, eggs, honey, vanilla, olive
oil, cinnamon and baking soda-lemon juice concoction until it is completely
combined.
3. Add in the almond meal and chia seeds and keep
mixing until it is incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into your tin and place walnuts
on top for decoration.
5. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Cover with aluminium foil if the top is starting
to brown too much.
7. The bread is ready when a skewer is poked in the
middle and comes out clean.
8. Cool in the tin before turning out.
Once the loaf is cooled I like to cut slices and wrap them
individually so when I am rushing to get ready for work in the morning all I
have to do is pick up a piece and put it in my bag.
Why is the recipe healthy?
-It doesn’t have any refined flour in it. Instead it has
almond meal which is full of unsaturated fats that are good for your body. Almond
meal is also packed full of protein.
-Olive oil is another ingredient which is made up of healthy
fats!
-Only a small amount of sugar (honey). The bananas provide
natural sugars so that it isn’t necessary to add a whole lot of white sugar. Bananas
also have vitamins and minerals that assist in keeping you well. As if the
bananas weren’t doing enough already they also help to make the banana bread
moist.
-All the wonderful benefits of chia seeds. For more information have a look at this post here.
I like to toast my bread and eat it warm.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and that you have been inspired
to try healthy baking yourself.
