If you love banana bread, this recipe is for you! It uses nourishing ingredients you can find in the pantry, is simple to make, and best of all it only requires one bowl. When you have some brown-speckled bananas, baking banana bread is a yummy way to put them to use.
Not only is this banana bread delicious, it is a great source of fuel filled with healthy carbohydrates. Containing three whole bananas, the bread is bursting with flavor plus fiber and nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and vitamin B6 which are all found in bananas.
Whether you enjoy it as part of breakfast with your morning coffee or have it before your afternoon workout, this banana bread will keep your body well-energized and your taste buds happy. Add a spread of peanut butter or a topping of Greek yogurt for an extra boost of healthy fats and protein to create a well-rounded and delicious snack.
This recipe is just one of many sports food recipes in Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.
Ingredients:
3 large well-ripened bananas
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil (preferably canola)
1/3 cup milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (1/3 is perfect when the bananas are quite ripe and already sweet)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour (preferably half whole wheat and half white)
Optional: 1/2 cup of add-ins like chopped nuts, blueberries, or chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.
- Mash bananas with a fork in a bowl.
- Add egg, oil, milk, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat well.
- Gently blend the flour (and any add-ins) into the banana mixture. Stir for 20 seconds or until moistened.
- Pour into a 4×8 inch loaf pan that has been lightly oiled with cooking spray, or line with waxed or parchment paper.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Yield: 12 slices
Nutrition Information: 1,600 total calories; 135 calories per slice; 24 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 3 g fat
Written by guest blogger Emily Stewart, nutrition graduate student at Simmons University, former world-class Irish dancer, and current aspiring sports dietitian.