A sweet treat that's good for you

One of the very first things I ever learned how to bake was Banana Bread. It was so good…soft and warm and all banana-y. But the simple recipe was from a cookbook which used one of those baking mixes as the basis for all the recipes.
It was easy baking. Take three or four ingredients mix them all together, pop them in the oven and, in less than an hour, you had a complete meal or dessert.
As I learned how to cook from scratch, and become more aware of the nutritional value of what I put into my body, I found and created new recipes that were healthier and tastier than the easier options I’d begun with.
The family loves Banana Bread. As it has evolved, they have barely noticed the addition of good-for-you-stuff but they rave about the taste. That’s the key to making food healthier…you have to make it more nutritious without making something the kids (and grownups who are not on the healthy eating bandwagon) won’t eat. What good is a nutritional recipe of no one actually eats it.
Bananas are candy sweet, yet good for you. The fruits are associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and breast cancer, as well as renal cell carcinoma.
This bread has added fiber, added sweetness, but (shhhhh – don’t tell the kids) no sugar.
This is a great recipe if you are craving a dessert bread. Treat yourself.

(High Fiber) Banana Bread

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

½ cups raisins, chopped
1 apple cut into tiny pieces

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 cup all-bran cereal

1/3 cup softened butter substitute

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
· In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.
· In a medium bowl, stir together mashed bananas, cereal, milk and other fruit (You can use prunes and dried apricots – 7 or 8 each – instead of the raisins and apples for a moister texture and more fiber). Mix and mash well. Let mixture stand for a couple of minutes to soften the cereal.
· In a large bowl, beat butter substitute and maple syrup; add eggs and beat well. Stir in the cereal mixture. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until it is combined.
· Spread the batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
· Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
· Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes before removing it from pan and let it cool completely before slicing.

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian