Healthy Twists on the Classic Banana Bread Recipe

3. Gluten-Free Carrot Banana Breakfast Bread

Gluten-Free Carrot Banana Breakfast Bread

Take the nutritional value of your banana bread up a notch by throwing in a veggie that’s similar to bananas. Thanks to their fiber and vitamin A, carrots are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, as well as heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts, among other benefits, notes a review published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology. This recipe from Minneapolis-based Lizzie Streit, RDN, of It’s a Veg World After All, makes it easy to reap this veggie’s perks. As a bonus for those with celiac disease, it’s gluten-free!

Nutrition per serving (serves 9; 1 slice per serving): 209 calories, 15g total fat (4g saturated fat), 5g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 10g sugar, 276mg sodium

4. Reduced-Sugar Banana Bread

Reduced-Sugar Banana Bread

As mentioned, bananas offer a natural sweetness, and yet some recipes go overboard by adding additional granulated white sugar, which can harm heart health, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Not so with this option. By adding ground flaxseed to provide a fiber-rich source of plant-based fat, per Mayo Clinic, this recipe creates the same moisture and texture of traditional banana bread. Meanwhile, it slashes the added sugar in the typical loaf by almost half, says the recipe’s creator, Marie Dittmer, RD.

Nutrition per serving (serves 18; 1 slice per serving): 179 calories, 7g total fat (1g saturated fat), 3g protein, 27g carbohydrates, 2.5g fiber, 12g sugar (8.3g added sugar), 155mg sodium