Recipe: Banana walnut loaf

Banana bread used to be a major weakness of mine - I would often grab a slice from the local cafe with my morning coffee.

That is, until I realised that the combination of sugar from the banana bread and caffeine in my coffee was seriously impacting my blood sugar regulation. I would end up feeling shaky a few hours later, often feeling super hungry and craving more sugary foods to get me through the day. It was a vicious cycle. So, I gave up the store-bought banana bread (and swapped to decaf!) and created this recipe for my own delicious and healthy banana loaf.

To help reduce sugar cravings and hypoglycemia, I made this loaf high in protein and lower in sugar than the stuff at the cafe. It can also easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free self-raising flour. You can experiment with the amount of nuts and seeds you want to add, depending on your preferences, but I really enjoy the crunch that they give this loaf. Because of its high protein content, this loaf can be enjoyed as a meal or snack without impacting your blood sugar levels too much.

Ingredients:

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup almond meal

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup soy milk

1/2 cup softened coconut oil

2 medium eggs

2 mashed bananas

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

Combine flours, almond meal, seeds, baking soda, and salt.

Make a well in the middle and add the soy milk, softened coconut oil, and eggs. Combine well.

Add mashed bananas, brown sugar, brown rice syrup, and walnuts and combine all.

Pour into a greased loaf pan, and cook for 40- 50 minutes at 180C (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean).

Note: you can also add blueberries or raspberries for a little twist and for something different!

Dannielle Illingworth is a kinesiologist, naturopath + author. Whether it’s in business, relationships, weight loss, career, health, or just general happiness – Danni helps her clients identify and let go of any fears, limiting beliefs + memories that are holding them back from what they truly desire. You can find out more at her website or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.