Despite bananas being the main ingredient, banana bread is often loaded with calories, sugar and fat and tends to be made with refined white flour, making it an unhealthy food with a deceptively healthy name. It is usually not a vegan baked good, as it tends to be made with eggs, butter and milk. Nevertheless, it is possible to make a healthy vegan banana bread that might be more delicious than the traditional recipe.
Vegan Versions of Baked Goods
In most baking recipes, eggs and dairy are the ingredients that are responsible for providing moisture and preventing the mixture from crumbling apart once baked. These ingredients need to be eliminated and replaced to make your banana bread and other baked goods vegan.
Egg Substitution
You can substitute a mixture of ground flaxseed and water for the eggs in any banana bread or baked good recipe. Combine 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp. water, mix and put in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it forms a gel-like substance. This quantity is the replacement for one egg and you can double it or triple it, as needed. The ground flaxseed with provide you with a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids and improve your cholesterol, having an opposite impact of eggs on your heart health.
Milk Substitution
There are many cow's milk alternatives on the market. Almond milk is a mild-tasting, low-calorie alternative you can use in your banana bread recipe. If you want to add some extra protein to your banana bread, soy milk is a good option, with 6 to 7g of protein per serving. Rice, hemp, oat and coconut milk are other milk alternatives you can experiment with. To keep your banana bread healthy and low in added sugars, choose an unsweetened version of your milk alternative.
Other Healthy Changes
You can use fruit, such as dates, to sweeten your banana bread. These are loaded with potassium, a mineral that is essential for heart health. Other sweetener alternatives include brown rice syrup, maple syrup or agave nectar. All of these provide trace minerals and are less processed than refined white sugar. By choosing to sweeten your bread with dates or natural sweeteners, you will not experience a sudden insulin spike and you will avoid the consumption of empty calories. Instead of white flour, you can use oat flour. This will create a slightly denser consistency and increase the fiber content of the bread, which can result in lowered cholesterol and stabilized blood sugar levels. For extra moisture, add 1/4 cup of ground almonds which provide protein, heart healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E.
References
- The Vegetarian Resource Group: Veganism in a Nutshell
- Veg Food & Fit: Fruit Sweetened Blueberry Banana Muffins
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Potassium
- Bob's Red Mill: Whole Grain Oat Flour
- California Almonds: Health and Nutrition Overview
- Madhuram's Eggless Cooking: Flax Seed as Egg Substitute
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