Healthy Twists on the Classic Banana Bread Recipe

9. Oat Banana Date Quick Bread

Oat Banana Date Quick Bread

Whether you are looking to limit added sugar, avoid gluten, or simply want to boost your protein and fiber intake, this banana bread recipe checks all the boxes. Using a blend of almond meal, and oat and coconut flours, this sweet bread from Lauren O’Connor, RD, a yoga teacher in Los Angeles, provides the same texture as a typical traditional loaf with more nutrition. It gets its natural sweetness from the dates and, of course, the fresh banana!

Nutrition per serving (serves 10; 1 slice per serving): 210 calories, 12g total fat (2g saturated fat), 8g protein, 25g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 7g sugar, 148mg sodium

10. Olive Oil Almond Banana Bread

Olive Oil Almond Banana Bread

Many banana bread recipes use butter as the main source of fat, but just 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of butter contains 7 g of saturated fat, or 36 percent of the DV, per the USDA. In excess, saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). This recipe, which is from Athens, Greece–based Mediterranean diet blogger Elena Paravantes, RD, swaps out the saturated fat and replaces it with olive oil, which, unlike butter, is associated with better heart health, notes the AHA. What’s more, this recipe contains dark chocolate — which Harvard notes is rich in iron, magnesium, and zinc — and almonds, which a review published in April 2018 in Nutrients noted supply fiber, potassium, and a variety of other heart-healthy nutrients.

Nutrition per serving (serves 15; 1 slice per serving): 197 calories, 10g total fat (2g saturated fat), 2g protein, 27g carbohydrates, 1.8g fiber, 14.4g sugar (11.4g added sugar), 240mg sodium