Quick and easy banana bread recipe + 10 reasons to eat more bananas

You know bananas are super healthy for ya right? 🍌

Well, newsflash! They are. Here are 10 reasons to eat more bananas:

1. Lots of potassium - yup, one of the highest sources of potassium is bananas. Eating just 1 -2 bananas a day can maintain proper heart function, offsetting the effect sodium and salt have in raising your blood pressure.

2. Energy boost- Bananas give you a slow but stable energy release to the body, which is why athletes often eat bananas before working out.

3. Digestion enhancer- Fiber improves the flow of food through the digestive tract and promotes healthy bowel movements. Bananas contain loooots of fiber.

4. Vitamin B6 -  B6 helps your body produce more antibodies for a stronger, more robust, more reliable immune response.

5. Prevents heartburn and stomach ulcers -Bananas do this by enhancing the protective mucus layer, which relieves pain and helps food to move faster through the digestive tract.

6. May fight cancer - There are studies that relay that entirely ripe bananas (the ones you’ll use for banana bread!), contain a compound that increases the white blood cell number and enhances immunity.

7. Stress reduction - Bananas have high levels of an amino acid called tryptophan, and the human body converts tryptophan to serotonin. Serotonin makes you feel good and relieves stress.

8. Boosts antioxidants -Bananas are an excellent source of several natural antioxidants, Specifically dopamine and catechins.

9. More Minerals + Vitamins - One medium banana contains the recommended daily intake of magnesium, copper, vitamin C, manganese and good carbohydrates.

10. Skin - you can use the peel of the skin and especially the inside part to treat various skin conditions such as psoriasis and acne as the fat of the peel has a soothing effect.

EASY BANANA BREAD RECIPE

Now if you happen to be a person who doesn’t particularly enjoy bananas just as they are, you can make a delicious and easy banana bread recipe in no time.

First and foremost I want to say that I truly admire people who know how to cook and all the creative beautiful recipes they come up with. But let’s set up one thing straight right away, I am no master chef, so I am not going to pretend to be one. This is my first recipe I am ever sharing and if you happen to be like me, not a Gordon Ramsey, worry not, I will only ever share VERY easy recipes, pinky swear.

That being said, I do enjoy baking once in a blue moon and what I enjoy even more, is eating the goodies (I’m a carbie girl). So the recipe I am sharing today is simple and quick and something my friend Emilia shared with me during our new years trip to Lapland. I decided to add my own touch to it by including some super yummie Barebells protein Milkshake to it for some extra flavour and protein. Let’s go.

What you need:

• 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed (the darker, the better)

• 1/4 cup melted butter

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 cups oats (or flour)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• cinnamon or cardamom

• Barebells Vanilla Protein Milkshake (1/2 cup)

I also love banana nut bread, so you can easily add walnuts or pecans to your liking. Another option is to add chocolate chips.

EASEY PEASY:

1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees C. Grease your bowl/pan.

2. Combine mashed bananas, and butter together in a bowl. Mix oats/ flour and baking soda together in a separate bowl; stir into banana mixture until batter is just mixed. Stir salt into batter. Pour batter into the buttered pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Serve with honey or butter and enjoy with a cup of tea and go bananas (sorry, I had to say that)!

I sprinkled coconut flakes on top.