Healthy Banana Bread

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.