FOOD FROM THE GARDEN

As I placed my prepared dishes on the table for a pre-meeting brunch, I commented to a couple of members close by, “These are healthy.”

“Yuk,” replied a friend who has diabetes and struggles to lose weight, “then they can’t be good.”

I probed, “Why do you say that? I don’t think you can tell the difference in the banana-nut bread.  You might actually like the other dish, too.”

He replied, “When anyone says healthy, I think of broccoli.”

In the bread recipe—a family favorite—I replaced the oil in the list of ingredients with applesauce. Although
relatively high in sugar, the overall product is fat-free and has fewer calories than the original recipe.

My other contribution that day consisted of a mixture of yogurt, almonds, oatmeal, and fruit. While the texture turns off some people, my friend tried it and insisted it was good. I noticed he later went back for seconds on that “healthy” banana-nut bread.

Where do people get this idea that if it’s healthy it must not taste good? If you are one of those, be courageous
like my friend, give healthier foods a try. You, too, may be surprised.

For my version of banana-nut bread,see the recipe below. It’s great for breakfast or snack, especially when served warm with a glass of ice-cold low-fat milk.

I can’t wait to share with my friend my zucchini-nut bread. I think he’ll like that too. Yum!

BANANA NUT BREAD

2                 cups flour

2                 teaspoons baking powder

1/2              teaspoon baking soda

1/4              teaspoon salt

1                 cup sugar

1/2              cup applesauce

2                 eggs

1                 cup mashed banana (about 3 very ripe bananas)

1                 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4              cup pecans, chopped

Sift dry ingredients together. Combine applesauce, sugar, eggs, and half the bananas. Beat about two minutes at medium speed.  Add remaining bananas and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Fold in flour mixture and nuts. Pour batter into a 5” X 7” X 3” loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350^o F. for 1 hour.