What we put in our bodies matters more than anything. The main drive of posts like this are to inspire healthy eating alternatives to those frequent cravings(if you are like me). I wouldn’t call this a low calorie recipe but it is nutritious. Complex carbs, high fiber, healthy monounsaturated fat, low sugar and low saturated fat. It is still a lot of calories but great a substitute for a chocolate chip cookie craving. A piece of this is even good before a run!

Growing up and far into my adult life, my mom routinely made banana bread for our family. Typically, we finish the whole loaf before it cools. She did a few things to make it healthier: she used half whole wheat flour instead of all white flour, she substituted vegetable oil for butter, and she even cut the sugar down by half.

This is a recipe I came up with as a way to have a healthier alternative to the traditional banana bread. I have been trying to take this to the next level without sacrificing delicious flavor and I am pretty close. I’m still tweaking some aspects of the recipe so it may change, but I’m ready to share!

Ingredients

Wet Mixture

• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 1 cup oat milk (or milk type of your choice)
• 2-3 ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon stevia sweater (I used a brand called Wholesome)
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Dry Mixture

• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/3 cup whey protein (unflavored)
• 1/3 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 100% stone ground)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I use lily’s stevia sweetened dark chocolate chips)
• 1 cup pecan halves (crushed)
• some pecans to top the loaf after you pour it in the pan

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix each group of ingredients separately. Then combine the two and you should end up with a very goopy (almost soupy) batter.
3. Oil (or butter) a 6 x 9 casserole dish or similar size quick bread pan. I actually recommend still using butter to grease the pan. It is a small amount and works better to brown the edges. Optional: Sprinkle a small amount of pecans to decorate the top. 🌚
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Take out and let cool. Enjoy.

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