On Food: Lorraine's Banana Bread

I haven't posted in way too long and I heartily apologize.

BUT
I'm back today to pass along something wonderful.
Something life changing.
Something you will love me for forever.
and that will definitely make you forget that I abandoned you for about 4 months.

Are you ready for this?

LORRAINE'S (LOWER FAT) BANANA BREAD

Now just as a disclaimer, I'm not always all about low fat.
Fat is good. Your body needs it.
Your cells are coated in it,
which sounds gross but is actually a good thing.
Not to mention that in cooking, fat = flavor.
So it makes sense that a lot of times "low-fat" can mean things like extra sugar, artificial flavors and lord knows what else to make what you're eating taste more like the real thing.

This recipe is awesome because it maintains the taste and awesome-ness of regular banana bread, but has none of that extra stuff.
The secret?
Sour cream, greek yogurt and applesauce.

Lorraine (who is my mom and the source of this recipe) has been using applesauce to substitute for butter in recipes for a long time. It might sound gross but it's actually the perfect substitute in banana bread. My mom's version of this recipe calls for sour cream only, but I like to use half and half  sour cream and greek yogurt. If you don't know about greek yogurt yet, you should try it. It's amazing. It's got way more protein than regular yogurt and can be used in smoothies, as a condiment, and as a substitute for sour cream or oil in a LOT of recipes!

Greek yogurt is kind of a miracle.

Anyway, back to this banana bread.
Here, the yogurt/sour cream adds a richness to the batter with way less fat than butter.
You still get a ton of flavor, plus added protein from the greek yogurt, fiber from the applesauce... it's a no-brainer really.

Try this recipe. You won't regret it.

Lorraine's Banana Bread

1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Apple Sauce
3-4 Smashed Over-ripe Bananas
1/8 C. Sour Cream
1/8 C. Plain Greek Yogurt
2 Eggs
1 TSP. Vanilla

2 C. Flour
1/2 TSP. Baking Powder
3/4 TSP. Baking Soda
1/2 TSP. Salt
1/2 C. Nuts (optional)

Mix the apple sauce and sugar on low until combined. Add bananas, sour cream, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.

Combine dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients little by little while mixer is on low. Once batter is well mixed, add nuts if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees in a greased/floured pan.

20-25 minutes for muffins.
40-45 minutes for a large loaf

Combine dry ingredients

On Nutrition: disturbing food additives

This article is a disturbing investigation into some of the additives in the food we eat. It's written by Dave Zinczenko, the editor of Men's Health magazine and the author of the informative "Eat This, Not That" series of books. Did you know that Baskin Robins Oreo Layered Sundae has 78 total ingredients? I thought ice cream was pretty much just milk, cream and sugar. Apparently not. The article speaks for itself, so I'll just provide you with a horrifying excerpt:

"Before making its way onto the value menu, fast-food beef passes through the hands of a company called Beef Products... Beef Products cleans the meat with the same stuff the cleaning crew at Yankee Stadium might use to scrub the toilets—ammonia. Every week, Beef Products pumps some 7 million pounds of ground beef through pipes that expose it to ammonia gas that could potentially blind a human being." (Zinczenko on the Big Mac).

Um, GROSS. Like I said, disturbing.


What's Really in your Food?

As a commentary on this article, I was recently introduced to "The Little House on the Prairie Method" (an invention of my much-wiser older cousin). It's a good test when trying to avoid all these ridiculous food additives. The rule is, if they would have eaten it in Little House on the Prairie (or basically if your great-grandmother would recognize it as food) then it's probably OK for consumption. Otherwise, try to stay away.

I think we can all agree that an ammonia-burger would not pass the test.

Not So Special K (On Nutrition)

I don't know what it is about the snooze button. 5 more minutes can't honestly have that much of an impact on the rest of my day, but somehow I always feel it calling my name when my alarm goes off in the morning. By the time I get myself going, it's always at least ten minutes later than I had hoped.

I can't blame it entirely on the snooze button, but breakfast has become somewhat of a struggle.

I suppose this is a good time to mention the food transformation I've been going through recently. I started off 2011 by doing a fast with a group of friends. The idea was to give something up for the month January and become centered and focused on what is really important in this new year. Our group members gave up different things- everything from Facebook to meat to desserts. I gave up all animal products, sugars, and processed foods.

This fast resulted in a couple of things. The first (unintended but happy) side effect was weight loss, which can in no way be attributed to lack of eating. In fact, I was eating a diet that included a lot of olive oil, nuts, and carbs (always whole grains of course). I was actually eating more frequently, if anything.

Another result of this fast is that I was less tired and less grumpy with the same amount of sleep. I didn't even really crave or miss the things I had given up after a while.

A third, and lasting result is that I have become a label reader. I am no longer interested in eating foods with ingredients that I cannot say, spell, or understand. I am also trying overall to be more conscious of what I put into my body as fuel.

Which brings us back around to the breakfast struggle. In all reality, it has less to do my alarm clock and more to do with the ingredients list. When I saw Special K Red Berries in the pantry I rejoiced, assuming the day had been saved by a wholesome, quick breakfast choice. After all, commercials claim that Special K will help you to lose weight and develop a more healthy lifestyle.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I found sugar to be the second ingredient followed shortly thereafter by high fructose corn syrup. Really? Did we really need to include both of these? Why not just one or the other? While I was pondering this the answer came to me. Eliminating the one would likely boost the other right to the top of the ingredient list.

Want a challenge? Read the labels of what you eat. It's kind of intense but really enlightening.

I opted for some shredded wheat, btw.