Banana bread is an all-time favorite pastry that’s delicious and easy to make. You only need to put around seven ingredients together, and you’re ready to pop your banana bread in the oven.
Yet, given how simple it is to make banana bread, some health-conscious individuals may wonder whether it’s good for their health. So, is banana bread healthy?
Bananas are a good source of potassium and vitamin C. For that reason, eating banana bread can be beneficial to the body. However, banana bread may be high in added sugar or calories that make you gain weight.
That said, banana bread can be nutritious with the right ingredients. Keep reading to find out how to make healthy banana bread. Consequently, we will unravel its effects on the body as we go along.
How banana bread consumption can impact your health depends on the preparation and how much you’ll eat. Being mindful of the ingredients you’re adding to your recipe is one way to determine its healthfulness.
Sugar and flour are a staple to every banana bread recipe. Adding too much of these to your recipe increases its calorie content.
Calories are a source of energy, but consuming too much is bad for your health, especially if you’re sedentary or inactive.
At the same time, too much sugar intake increases one’s risk for heart disease and diabetes in the long run. Hence, cutting back on added sugar is vital.
On the bright side, this bread contains essential minerals and vitamins from its banana content.
For example, potassium and vitamin C are crucial elements that support heart health and immune system functions.
Despite that, the potassium content of banana bread can be toxic to individuals with certain health issues.
People allergic to gluten and eggs should avoid banana bread. Due to banana bread’s high sugar and starch content, it may not be suitable for people with diabetes too.
Moreover, banana bread may be restricted for people with chronic kidney or heart diseases. People suffering from these conditions experience trouble with balancing potassium levels in their bodies.
Since banana bread can be rich in potassium, people with existing medical conditions are at risk for chest pains, nausea, and heart attacks.
Ideally, consulting your doctor about your dietary restrictions is best. You can still enjoy eating banana bread by adjusting the recipe and cutting off on ingredients that can be bad for you.
Unfortunately for people who like to stay in shape, constantly eating banana bread can make you gain some weight, as it’s a bit high in sugar and refined carbs.
On that account, we recommend eating banana bread on occasion, not on a regular basis, as part of a balanced diet.
Limiting sugar and exchanging some ingredients for healthier options is vital to transforming your typical banana bread into a more nutritious food.
First, a healthy banana bread recipe doesn’t contain excessive amounts of added sugar.
Since ripe bananas are already sweet, you may reduce your recipe’s sugar content or opt for healthy sweeteners.
Honey or maple syrup are good substitutes as they have a lesser glycemic index than table sugar.
The glycemic index is a value that reflects a food’s impact on a person’s risk for increased blood sugar levels.
Second, you may replace white flour with healthier alternatives like oat flour, whole wheat flour, and almond flour.
Almond flour is gluten-free and fiber-rich. Additionally, it contains minerals like calcium or magnesium. It also contains healthy fats that help control cholesterol levels too.
Apart from swapping usual ingredients with healthful options, you may add nuts and seeds for additional health benefits.
That said, cashews or chia seeds are an excellent addition to your banana bread recipe. They’re rich in fiber that supports gut health and helps lower blood pressure.
Meanwhile, check out this simple recipe below to make healthy banana bread from scratch.
Here’s a guide to making healthy banana bread using whole-wheat flour. For this recipe, you’ll need the following:
- 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
- 2 bowls
- 2 eggs
- Two to three ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup milk (almond milk is a healthier choice)
- Half a cup or 8 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 5 tablespoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 and ¾ cups of whole wheat flour
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl using a whisk and put aside.
- Combine eggs, honey, milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a larger bowl.
- After that, add the mashed bananas and flour mixture to the bowl. Combine the ingredients properly. For this step, you’re free to add nuts of your choice.
- Grease your loaf pan and pour the batter carefully.
- You’re now ready to pop the pan into the oven and let it bake for up to 55 minutes. Make sure to preheat your oven before baking.
The calorie content of banana bread depends on its ingredients. A typical banana bread with traditional ingredients like white flour and butter will surely contain more calories than healthier alternatives.
According to USDA, a 100-gram slice of banana bread contains 326 kcal.
Meanwhile, Healthline states that a 100-gram, store-bought, low-fiber banana bread slice may contain up to 421 kcal.
Given the 1,600 to 3,000 (1,600 to 2,400 kcal for women and 2,00-3,00 kcal for men) recommended daily calorie intake, eating at least eight slices per day already exceeds your daily requirement.
The carbohydrate content of banana bread relies heavily on its sugar or flour content. So, more sugar equates to increased levels of carbohydrates.
A 100-gram slice contains 55 grams of carbohydrates.
Since you need to take carbohydrates from other food sources, eating generous amounts of banana bread daily may exceed your daily recommended intake of up to 325 grams.
Note that the recommended carbohydrate makes up to 65% of your daily calorie intake.
A traditional banana bread recipe may be considered high FODMAP because it contains ripe bananas, wheat-based products, and dairy.
To transform your banana bread recipe to low FODMAP, use lactose-free milk, low-FODMAP, and gluten-free flour, and reduce the bananas.
Categorizing food products according to Kosher guidelines can be tricky, and it goes back to food preparation and choice of ingredients.
Thus, you can only consider a banana bread recipe Kosher-approved if it’s made with ingredients with no traces of blood or unmixed with meat-based derivatives.
At the same time, they should be prepared using separate utensils that weren’t previously used for processing other animal or food products.
Traditional banana bread recipes are usually low in fiber but high in carbohydrates. Fiber helps balance blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It maintains bowel movement too.
Further, fiber makes you feel full without all the calories. Accordingly, one way to enjoy eating banana bread is by incorporating fiber-rich components in your recipe.
So, to elevate an ordinary banana bread recipe, use whole wheat flour instead of refined flour for a hint of fiber goodness.
Banana bread isn’t for you if you’re on a strict keto diet.
Nevertheless, you can make keto-friendly banana bread by eliminating sugar, replacing regular flour with keto-friendly almond flour, and removing bananas from the recipe.
Now, you’re probably thinking: That’s ridiculous! How can we call it banana bread if there aren’t any bananas? Well, let me explain:
Bananas are rich in carbohydrates, so they’re a big no for those on a keto diet. We can substitute banana extract for real bananas instead.
It may not taste as good as real bananas, but you’ll still be able to enjoy that banana bread goodness minus the carbs!
Lastly, protein-rich nuts like pistachios, peanuts, and walnuts are good additions to keto-friendly banana bread recipes.
Big YES! Bananas are synonymous with potassium, so eating banana bread gives you a boost of this mineral that’s beneficial in several bodily functions.
Apart from maintaining cardiovascular health, potassium aids in muscle health, neurological functions, and metabolism.
Thus, eating banana bread is one way to gain a good amount of potassium that helps your body to function optimally.
Eating banana bread can be a healthy way to incorporate potassium into your diet. Apart from potassium, banana bread may contain essential vitamins that are good for the immune system.
However, banana bread may contain significant sugar and calories that can be bad for your health. That said, gaining optimum health benefits from your banana bread will depend on preparation and choice of ingredients.
So, to make your banana bread healthy, we recommend swapping the usual ingredients for healthier options. For example, you can use oat or almond flour instead of refined flour.
You may reduce its sugar content too, or swap it with healthy sweeteners like honey.
We hope you loved this comprehensive guide to making healthy banana bread. Until the next one!
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.