Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf (12 servings) Nutrients per serving: (Without Nuts) 159 kcal, 4 g fat, 30 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein   PointsPlus Value: 4   I love bananas and eat them almost every day. They are a great source of  potassium and are good for your stomach. Dr. Weil explains that they help the stomach lining to produce a thicker mucus barrier to protect against stomach acids and secondly, they contain protease inhibitors that can help reduce the bacteria in the stomach that have been shown to promote ulcers. In addition to bananas, I also love carbs so put the two together and how can I resist? The problem is regular banana bread recipes are usually full of butter and sugar and I'm trying to be better about overindulging my sweet tooth.  Luckily, one of my hometown friends passed on this healthier banana bread recipe. It comes from Dr. Weil and I am so glad I tried it. The bread was moist, rich in flavor and went heavenly with my morning cup o' coffee. Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas ½ cup honey 3 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil, plus a little more for oiling the loaf pan 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (Optional, I do not use)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly oil a loaf pan. 2. Mash the bananas and mix with the honey, canola oil and vanilla extract. 3. Stir together the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking soda and salt. Add the nuts, if using. 4. Blend the two mixtures and spoon into a lightly oiled loaf pan (**top with streusel, if using). Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set and toothpick comes out clean.

** I also added a sprinkle of streusel on top that included: 1/4 c chopped old fashioned oats, 1 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine. (Adds 26 kcal, 3 carbs, <1 g protein and 1 g fat per serving)