Living with diabetes does not necessarily restrain you from eating most foods. Although it is important to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, the American Diabetes Association maintains that you need not deprive yourself of foods that you enjoy. Banana bread can be adapted to fit your diabetic meal plan without losing its great taste appeal.
Sugar and Diabetes
Elevated levels of glucose in the blood may, over time, cause serious health issues. High blood sugar may damage your nerves, kidneys, eyes and cause heart disease. Exercising and maintaining a healthy eating plan is a must to control diabetes, however, you can still eat foods that contain sugar now and then and still control blood glucose levels.
Using Sugar
Experiment with the amount of sugar you use in your recipes. Many recipes taste just as good with half as much added sugar. Mix sugar and other sweeteners that can be used in baking, such as sucralose, half and half, or use sucralose alone. Try different spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Instead of using icing on your cakes, use a low-sugar fruit jam for the filling.
Basic Banana Nut Bread Guide
A basic banana bread recipe contains a set of dry ingredients mixed with a set of wet ingredients. Dry ingredients will usually include 1 ½ to 2 cups of flour, white, whole wheat or a mix; baking powder to help the bread rise; salt and soda to aid the rising process and add taste; and spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. The wet ingredients normally consist of eggs; some liquid, usually milk; a sweetener such as sugar or sucralose; a fat, such as butter, margarine or vegetable oil; and overripe mashed bananas. Nuts of choice can be added at the end.
Adapting to a Diabetic Friendly Recipe
Adapting a banana bread recipe to be diabetic friendly is not as daunting as it might sound. To decrease calories, use sucralose or other commercial artificial sweetener that bakes well. To add fiber, use whole wheat as the main flour, or oat bran. Instead of fats, use unsweetened applesauce or frozen orange juice concentrate. Cut back on the salt, use low-fat or nonfat milk and use lots of spices to liven up the taste.
