Perfect Banana Bread

You could eat this entire loaf of banana bread for 675 calories.

Not that you’d want to eat an entire loaf of banana bread (or maybe you would… I won’t judge) but think about- I bet a single slice of banana bread from Starbucks has at least half the calories of this entire loaf. (And obviously, the exact calorie content of your bread if you bake it might be different, depending on which type of protein powder you use.)

I don’t know how I found this blog, but I’m so glad I did. Upon my first visit, this recipe was front and center. I knew I had to make it ASAP. Mike’s recipe is unique in that it uses no added sugar for the bread- the sweetness comes from the ripe bananas! (And after having eaten this, I can tell you- it’s the perfect amount of sweet.) It also uses protein powder, which is something that I don’t often use in baking (except for my microwave “baked” protein muffins made with Vega Health Optimizer). I think that this banana bread recipe was actually the first time I’ve ever baked with protein powder – you know, like baked in the oven.

I ended up cutting the recipe in half, mostly because I was running low on bananas. I used MRM Rich Vanilla Whey protein powder, because I wanted to stay as true as possible to the original recipe the first time around. I used oat flour instead of whole wheat (because it’s what I had) and made my own “buttermilk” by combing some lemon juice with 2% milk. Oh- and I didn’t have any fresh blueberries, so I used frozen wild ones (fresh wild blueberries would definitely be better!).

For the second day in a row, the kitchen was filled with the smells of delicious baked goods floating the air. It made Greg happy too, because he is a huge banana bread fan. Even though I am horrible at baking anything (cakes and breads usually end up burnt on the outside and raw in the middle), this came out perfectly!

I cut it up into four slices and wrapped them individually so that I could throw it in the breakfast rotation. Each piece is around 170 calories (you could cut them into smaller slices, obviously). My breakfasts are my biggest meal of the day- usually between 400-500 calories, so a piece of this paired with some cottage cheese and fruit or nut butter is perfect. In fact, this morning I had a piece along with 1/2 c of cottage cheese mixed with 2 T peanut flour and some sliced banana. It was super filling and delicious!

Actually, I’m not being completely honest. I wrapped three pieces up- Greg and I split the fourth piece, which was topped with some freshly  ground almond butter.

Check out that beautiful slice! Perfect [moist] texture.

I will definitely be making this recipe again and again, and have all kinds of different versions in mind. I’m dying to make it now using peanut flour in place of the protein powder to make a peanut-banana bread (doesn’t that sound good?!). I also want to try it out using Vega Chocolate Health optimizer for chocolate banana bread… or even combining the chocolate and peanut flour… whoa now. Let’s not get too out of control here!

While the bread was baking, I boiled up some chickpeas that had been soaking all day. Then I whipped up the usual bi-weekly batch of hummus, made with the usual ingredients: chickpeas, sesame seeds, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin and sea salt.

Turns out perfect every time!

I also opened up my latest delivery from iHerb. Included in the box (amongst other things) were:

I just started buying stevia in liquid form a month ago, because it was on sale at Common Market. I don’t know why I waited so long- perhaps since it’s usually so expensive? This is the third “flavor” I have bought- the others are chocolate and English toffee. I’m a big fan of all three!

I also got this supplement:

It caught my eye when I was looking for “adrenal support.” I had been taking an adrenal support formula made by Gaia herbs for a while that was okay, but I didn’t really notice the effects (and it was expensive). I like this company, and I am willing to try anything that is supposed to have a “calming effect” and reduces stress. I don’t know about the appetite control part. As long as it doesn’t have a stimulant for that effect (which it doesn’t), I’m cool with that.

iHerb also always throws in a few free samples in every order. You get to choose one, and the others are random. This was the one I chose:

I can’t wait to try it! Probably on a piece of toast with golden pea butter, which I can’t seem to keep my spoon out of it. (Ha! When I Googled Golden Pea butter to find that link, my blog was the second thing to pop up!)

Just another reminder… if you place an order by the end of March on iHerb  (herbs/supplements/beauty products/grocery items/etc.), you can get $10 off your first order over $40 on http://iherb.com by using the coupon code: QIR197 at checkout (orders under $40 get $5 off). Shipping is free and fast! (I placed my order Sunday night and got it yesterday- and it came all the way from Western Canada.)

Have you ever baked with protein powder? Do you have a favorite recipe to share that uses protein powder?

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