Banana Nut Bread
Banana nut bread is aromatic and flavorful bread that more closely resembles
cake in texture and flavor, but is prepared in a loaf pan like bread.
Because of the main ingredients in banana nut bread, it can easily be
prepared in a low-fat version without sacrificing taste. Banana nut bread
is an excellent accompaniment to coffee or tea at breakfast and equally
as tasty as an after dinner treat.
The main ingredients in banana nut bread are not difficult to discern
even for a novice baker. You will need a few bananas and your choice of
nuts in addition to a few on-hand ingredients. The most popular choice
of nuts for banana nut bread is walnuts or pecans. However, there are
recipes that use macadamia and almond nuts. The bananas need to be over-ripe
for the best results.
To make a low-fat banana nut bread, start with 2 to 3 over-ripe bananas
and mash them to equal one cup. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups
of flour, 1-½ teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of
baking soda, and a dash of salt. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 egg
whites, the cup of mashed banana, ¾ cup of sugar (use sugar substitute
such as Splenda for even fewer calories), 3 tablespoons of cooking oil,
and 1 teaspoon of finely shredded lemon peel. Combine the banana mix with
the dry ingredients until a batter is formed. Next stir in ¼ cup
of nuts. Pour the batter into a non-stick loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees
for 45 to 50 minutes or until center tests done.
You should remove the bread from the pan after cooling 5 to 10 minutes
and continue cooling on a wire rack. With loaf cut into 16 slices, this
version contains about 120 calories per slice. To reduce fat and calories
even further, substitute cooking oil for a fruit-based alternative.