I love banana bread! And I love Zucchini bread! They are just one of those comfort foods. I’m not a big baker, however, because I prefer to have as much raw unprocessed food in my diet as possible. I found that I don’t necessarily need the texture of baked goods as much I just want the taste of my favorite things.
And once you get off grains you don’t crave them. They become an unnecessary food additive. So I tend to make puddings, ice creams and smoothies that mimic my favorite treats. Recently, I decided to make a smoothie out of the zucchini I had and I couldn’t decided between a classic zucchini bread or a banana bread…so I made both : )
Warning: these particular ones are not straw worthy because I keep the nuts a bit chunky like real banana bread but you can always blend them fully if desired. Each recipe will make one big serving or 2 smaller, more civilized-get-your-feet-wet, ones for the newbie lol.
Banana Bread Ingredients:
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3 cups peeled and chopped zucchini
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3 bananas
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1/2 cup raw soaked walnuts (soaking is optional, but will aid in digestion)
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1 t cinnamon
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1/8 t sea salt
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Enough water to blend
Zucchini Bread Ingredients:
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3 cups peeled and chopped zucchini
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1-2 cups coconut milk (I used 1-2 T coconut butter with cold water)
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1/2 cup raw soaked walnuts
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1 t cinnamon
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1/8 t nutmeg
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1/8 t sea salt
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Sweetner of choice (I used stevia but honey or maple syrup would be fantastic)
Instructions for Both:
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Blend all ingredients except nuts until smooth
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Add nuts and blend on low for a few seconds to keep nuts chunky
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Garnish with cinnamon
Nutritional Benefits:
Bananas are a heart healthy food. They contain about 3 grams of fiber and 400 mg of potassium each. Potassium is an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. While they are low in fat they do contain a small amount of sterols which are structurally similar to cholesterol. These can help block dietary cholesterol. (1)
Zucchini is a good source of a group of antioxidants called Carotenoids, especially Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Additionally, recent research has shown that the polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate, found in zucchini contains an unusual amount of pectin which is being linked in animal studies to protection against diabetes and better regulation of insulin. (2)
