Homemade banana nut bread.
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Losing weight requires you to cut back on calories, but this doesn't mean sticking to celery sticks and broiled chicken until you reach your goal. An occasional treat, such as a slice of homemade banana-nut bread, won't make or break your entire diet. No one food will cause you to gain weight unless you eat too much of it. When you do get a hankering for banana-nut bread, seek out recipes that cut back on the sugar and fat to make this tasty quick bread a little more diet-friendly.
Banana Bread Nutrition
Although banana-nut bread contains bananas and nuts -- two foods generally considered healthy -- traditional recipes usually contain saturated fats and up to a cup of sugar. One slice of banana-nut bread may contain as many as 543 calories and 25 grams of fat. If you're trying to eat between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day -- an often recommended number for weight loss -- this slice amounts to between 36 and 45 percent of your total daily calories.
It's About the Calories
Dropping a few pounds requires you to restrict your calorie intake. If you can manage to burn 250 to 500 calories more than you consume daily, you'll lose 0.5 to 1 pound over the course of a week. Usually, a combination of eating fewer calories and exercising more creates this deficit. One way to easily cut calories is to remove foods that have a lot of sugar, refined flour and minimal nutrition from your meal plans. Many recipes for banana-nut bread fall into this category of empty calories. Prepackaged versions of banana-nut bread are even more likely to be full of added sugars and unhealthy fats that can be a diet disaster.
Periodic Treats
A slice of homemade banana-nut bread straight out of the oven once in a while might just satisfy a craving so you don't feel overly deprived. A study published in an issue of "Psychosomatic Medicine" in 2010 showed that a strict low-calorie diet can increase a dieter's stress levels, causing him to pump out more of the hormone cortisol, which may encourage fat storage. If you do choose to add banana bread in occasionally, bake a healthier version by replacing half of the white flour with whole wheat and half of the oil with applesauce. In most recipes, you can also reduce the sugar by one-quarter to one-third with little impact on the bread's taste or texture, or use a low-calorie sugar substitute made especially for baking. If you use super mushy brown bananas, their natural sweetness may mean you can skip the sugar altogether. This may change the texture of the bread slightly and leave it with just a hint of sweetness, though.
Nutrition and Hunger
Fitting in all the necessary nutrients when you're cutting calories is a challenge. Spending a large number of your daily allotted calories on banana-nut bread means you'll have less room for nutrient-dense foods such as green vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains and lean protein. These foods are valuable for dieters because they contain few calories per serving. You can eat lots of them and still stay within your calorie allotment. Banana-nut bread is calorie-dense, meaning it has a lot of calories in a small serving, and may not fill you up adequately. Even if you manage to fit it into your restricted-calorie diet, it could leave you feeling hungry. Eventually, this hunger could lead you to abandon your diet altogether.
FAQs
Banana-nut bread is calorie-dense, meaning it has a lot of calories in a small serving, and may not fill you up adequately. Even if you manage to fit it into your restricted-calorie diet, it could leave you feeling hungry. Eventually, this hunger could lead you to abandon your diet altogether.
Is banana nut bread healthy to lose weight? ›
You may find banana bread delicious, but conventional banana breads tend to be high in added sugar, refined carbs, and calories. Thus, it's best to enjoy banana bread occasionally as part of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet.
How unhealthy is banana bread? ›
"The nutritional value varies from recipe to recipe but generally speaking, banana bread contains flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and butter," she notes. "This is a carb-heavy food item, high in sugar, and low in fiber and protein."
Is peanut butter and banana bad for weight loss? ›
The best weight-loss snacks boast filling fiber, protein, and other essential nutrients, such as bananas and peanut butter. Finding healthy snacks is essential to any weight-loss plan. Healthy snacks help keep you full between meals, which prevents overeating and weight gain.
How many calories are in 2 slices of banana nut bread? ›
Bob Evans Desserts, Banana Nut Bread, 2 Slices (1 Order) contains 37g total carbs, 35g net carbs, 22g fat, 5g protein, and 420 calories.
How much sugar is in banana nut bread? ›
Region: US
Serving | Ingredient | Calories |
---|
0.14 g | baking soda | 0.0 |
0.04 g | cinnamon | 0.1 |
6.25 g | egg | 8.9 |
9.37 g | sugar | 36 |
6 more rows
Can I lose weight eating peanut butter and bread? ›
Yes, you can eat brown bread with peanut butter for weight loss. Peanut butter is a nutritious and tasty addition to any weight-loss diet as long as it is consumed in moderation. Including peanut butter on toast should be done correctly when trying to lose weight.
Is banana nut bread good for your stomach? ›
Bananas are not just rich sources of potassium like most of us initially think of, they also contain manganese, copper, vitamin B6, and pectin which is a type of fiber that may help heal some digestive issues like stomach ulcers and overall improve bowel movements/regularity.
What are the benefits of banana bread in the body? ›
Fibre can also help to support healthy digestion and allows food to move through the digestive tract normally. Banana bread is high in magnesium: Bananas are also high in magnesium. Magnesium is involved in a number of processes in the body, including regulating the nervous system and increasing energy.
How bad is too bad for banana bread? ›
In my experience, using bananas with a dark brown or even black peel for banana bread is ideal, as long as the inside isn't rotten. Key takeaway: As long as your bananas aren't starting to get moldy, infested with fruit flies or beginning to rot they aren't too ripe for baking banana bread.
Healthy snacks for adults
- Apple and peanut butter packet. ...
- Almonds and popcorn. ...
- Energy bar and mandarin orange. ...
- Blueberries and breakfast biscuits. ...
- Roasted edamame and banana. ...
- Beef or turkey jerky and apple slices. ...
- Cheese crisps and cashews. ...
- Olives and prunes.
What is the best sweet snack for weight loss? ›
Healthiest Sweet Snacks
- 1/14. Fresh Fruit. It's packed with vitamins and minerals that help your body function. ...
- 2/14. Dark Chocolate. A half-ounce square of 86% dark chocolate contains only two grams of sugar. ...
- 3/14. Apple Chips. ...
- 4/14. Apple and Nut Butter. ...
- 5/14. Cereal. ...
- 6/14. Greek Yogurt. ...
- 7/14. DIY Smoothie. ...
- 8/14. Dates.
Is banana nut bread high in fat? ›
1 slice of banana nut bread (Banana Nut Bread Mix Bananas Water - Bob Evans Farms Inc.) contains 141 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 62% carbs, 32% fat, and 6% protein. This has a moderate calorie density, with 186 Calories per 100g.
Is banana nut bread high in cholesterol? ›
Banana bread offers healthy monounsaturated fats with ingredients such as nuts and olive oil. The Healthy Chef's Teresa Cutter states that healthy fats help to stabilize blood sugar levels as well as lower cholesterol levels.
How many carbs are in a slice of homemade Banana Bread? ›
Banana Bread (1 slice) contains 22.3g total carbs, 21.8g net carbs, 4.3g fat, 1.8g protein, and 132 calories.
Is banana good for weight loss? ›
Although there are no studies that directly examine the effects of banana on weight, they're high in fiber and low in calories. When included as part of a balance diet, bananas may help support weight loss goals. People who want to improve their health are often advised to eat more fruits and vegetables.
What to pair with banana for weight loss? ›
This stops the blood sugar from rising as quickly and is also a great opportunity to incorporate protein and healthy fat in your diet. Some great ingredients to combine with bananas include nut butters, pumpkin seeds, and full fat yogurt.
How many calories in a slice of banana bread with walnuts? ›
At about 420 calories a slice, featuring plenty of sugar and refined flour, you might as well call them cake.