Food & Nutrition
Try this high-fibre banana bread recipe for the ultimate cosy bake
Stefanie Valakas, Expert Nutritionist | 23 Jan 2024
In today’s recipe drop, expert nutritionist Stefanie Valakas – better known as The Dietologist – shares one of her all-time favourite fall-to-winter warmer recipes: a high-fibre, foodie banana bread that’s as comforting as it is nourishing.
Think perfectly golden crust with just the right amount of crunch, giving way to a soft, moist centre that’s naturally sweet from ripe bananas. It’s the kind of bake that fills your kitchen with the warm, homely aroma of cinnamon, vanilla, and slow-baked fruit, and the scent alone feels like a hug in the middle of a chilly afternoon.
Packed full of fertility-friendly ingredients, this banana bread also delivers that all-important fibre boost, making it a treat that loves you back. You’ll find it’s as good with a thick smear of butter or nut butter as it is on its own, and even better slightly warm with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Whether you’re TTC (trying to conceive) or not, this is the perfect recipe to make on a quiet weekend, slice up for the week ahead, or share with friends over a catch-up. It’s equally at home wrapped in parchment and tucked into your bag for a frosty autumn walk, ready to enjoy on a park bench as you watch the leaves fall.
The kind of bake you’ll come back to again and again, it’s wholesome, deeply satisfying, and just a little bit indulgent – proof that healthy eating can be full of flavour and joy.
Over to Stefanie –
thedietologist.com.au | @the_dietologist
High-fibre banana bread recipe
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 50 min
Serves: ~10 slices
Fibre per slice: about 6 grams (one fifth of your daily requirement)
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled & mashed
- 2 cups self-raising flour (wholemeal preferred)
- 1/3 cup (70g) coconut sugar
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2-3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp ground linseed/almonds/sunflower seeds (whatever blend you can find in your supermarket – ground flax works well too!)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1-2 tbsp psyllium husk (note, we also love this superstar psyllium husk supplement from Zita West, for a targeted soluble fibre boost alongside)
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 160C (fan) and line the base of a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, add sugar, walnuts, chia seeds, your nut/seed blend and psyllium husk, then stir to combine.
- Add the egg, milk, vanilla extract and mashed banana, then gently fold until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the pan, and pop an extra banana sliced lengthways on top (for pretty presentation!)
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Set aside to cool, then cut into slices to serve. I love this with fresh ricotta cheese and a drizzle of honey.
Related article – Foods That Help Fertility: Hormone Balancing Buddha Bowl
Hopefully this super-easy recipe has fuelled your appetite for some autumn baking. Regardless of our fertility goals, this ultra-hygge teatime loaf is one of our favourites. Delicious banana bread that’s packed full of fibre – what’s not to love? Give it a try and tag us in your creations on Insta.
About Fertility Dietitian & Nutritionist, Stefanie
Stefanie Valakas, is an Australian-based Accredited Practising Dietitian, Nutritionist & Director of The Dietologist, a private practice focused on nourishing growing families from conception.
She is passionate about using the latest nutrition science to help couples optimise their fertility and the health of their pregnancy and their babies. She has a particular interest in helping women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) get back a regular menstrual cycle and conceive. Today, she helps women and couples across Australia and the world, improve their health when trying to conceive, via face-to-face and virtual consultations.
