Happy New Year! I know it has been ages since I’ve posted. I took what turned into a massively long hiatus. It started with burn out and needing to just take a break, which I mentioned during my last post. But, the burn out just stuck around a lot longer than I thought it would. I just had no desire to create, to write, to post, to share. It’s a lot more energy than I had ever realized!
Then, I ended up finally getting a job offer! Well, actually, two. You see, I had taken a year off to travel with my husband and son, and right when I was getting back on the market, the pandemic hit and everything shut down. So, it’s weird and great finally being back to work… a little intimidating as I’m doing something a bit different from what I’m used to and there’s soooo much to learn. So yeah, busy busy!
So, a year ago to the day, I started on a much needed weight loss journey. Over the past ten years, I slowly put on weight, and the first year of the pandemic just really piled it on. I felt disgusting. So for the first time in almost 30 years, I made a New Years resolution to lose weight, quit drinking, and get healthy. And I am so proud to say that I did it! I lost forty pounds, gained who knows how much muscle weight (so really, I lost more than 40 pounds of fat because I gained so much muscle!) and I only drink when my husband and I go out to dinner, which is very, very rare!
And let me tell you, I was successful in my journey for several reasons. First, I was damned determined. I was sick of feeling crappy and looking dumpy. It’s just not how I viewed myself after being thin all of my life. I then started weightlifting because, well, building muscle is the best way to start burning extra calories. I added in walks as often as I had time for them just to get a bit more calories burned each day, but the primary focus was weightlifting. And if you’re not sure your way around a gym and can’t afford a personal trainer, do what I did and start watching YouTube videos that can help guide you along your journey!
The next big thing actually came about because of my blogging… I became so aware of the ingredients I was using and how many calories were in each and every item, so I started getting smart and making smart choices. I want to stress, I am NOT a fan of any dietary fad. Kudos if it works for you, no judgment here. But, I didn’t want a diet; I wanted a lifestyle change. Which meant I still wanted carbs and the occasional treat.
So what does that mean? It means watching your calories, which can seem hard. You may think that means eating less, but it doesn’t have to mean that! Check out some of my posts from a year ago. One of the smartest ingredient swaps I made was using almond milk in place of regular milk and even cream! Yes, even cream! Making a roux and using almond milk SIGNIFICANTLY cuts calories. It floored me when I realized just how many calories are in a cup of cream! No wonder our weight starts to creep up!
Which leads me to this banana walnut bread! So, I ordered groceries from Target and ordered three bananas and ended up with THREE BUNCHES of bananas! What do you do when life gives you bananas? Make banana bread! But, banana bread is inherently high in calories. I don’t care that I’ve met my weight loss goals; to maintain my goal weight, I still need to watch my calories! So, I made some swaps.
First, I love to use whole wheat flour for recipes like this. You can’t tell the difference, but you get an added boost of nutrients and fiber! Next, I cut the usual sugar in half and swapped it with Stevia! And let me tell you, you can’t tell the difference! Next time around, I’ll try it using all Stevia and let you all know how it turns out!
If you are counting calories and want to make this bread even lower in calories, then skip the walnuts. I was amazed at how many calories are in nuts! With the nuts, this bread is about 280 calories a slice. Without the nuts, it’s closer to 200 calories a slice.
Need encouragement or advice on losing weight, shoot me a message on Instagram or click on the Contact link below! I’d love to share my tips and tricks. And if you love this healthier banana bread, give me some love below!
Enjoy!
The Best Banana Walnut Bread AND It’s Lower Calorie AND Whole Wheat!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: breakfast, bread
Ingredients
250g whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup butter, room temperature
6 TBs dark brown sugar
6 TBs Stevia
2 large eggs
⅓ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
4 large ripe bananas
1 TB vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Grease a 9×5” loaf pan with butter. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, blend the butter, brown sugar, and Stevia together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy (push down the sides with a spatula as needed). Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, until fully blended. Add in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Add the bananas, one at a time, breaking them up into chunks before adding them to the bowl. Continue to whisk until the bananas have brown up and blended in.
Continue to mix on medium and carefully pour in the flour mixture. Whisk until just blended. Turn off the mixer and add the walnuts. Using a spatula, fold the nuts into the mix. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
Set the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and place the loaf into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 350°F. Once the oven comes up to temperature, bake for an additional 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly. NOTE: check the loaf about halfway through; if nicely browned, cover with aluminum foil to prevent overcooking of the crust. Remove and set the loaf pan on a rack to cool. Turn over and the bread should slide out smoothly. Place in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator, or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer.
Keywords: banana bread, healthier banana bread, Stevia banana bread, banana walnut bread
