Mama bakes too.

So, Brendon is really the baker in the house but occasionally I get the bug to bake something.
Today, I felt like a sweet snack and opted for finally doing something with those frozen, overripe bananas I've had in the freezer for, well, longer than one should.
But of course -and this is where Brendon and I sometimes differ on baking philosophies- I refuse to waste all of my calories burned all week, so I wanted a lowfat banana bread that didn't compromise on flavor. (What can I say? I love tasting something sweet and knowing it's not going to stick around until next week.)

I found an already lowfat recipe (not low enough for me!) to modify from allrecipes.com and I really ended up liking it.

Here's the original:

2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-Mix everything. Bake at 350 for about 50 mins. Makes 1 loaf banana bread, which I cut into 12 slices

Here's the info per slice:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 59 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 162 Calories from Fat 42

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.7g 7%

Saturated Fat 0.9g 4%

Cholesterol 31mg 10%

Sodium 256mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 27.4g 9%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3%

Sugars 12.7g

Protein 2.9g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 2% Calcium 1% • Iron 5%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Here's my version:
1/6 cup white sugar
1/6 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
2 egg whites
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup water
0.83 cups all-purpose flour
0.83 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-Mix everything. Bake at 350 for about 50 mins. Makes 1 loaf banana bread, which I cut into 12 slices

Here's the info per slice:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 51 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 96 Calories from Fat 2

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.3g 0%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 213mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 21.0g 7%

Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6%

Sugars 7.4g

Protein 2.9g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 2% Calcium 2% • Iron 4%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

All in all, I made some of the basic substitutions (applesauce for butter, egg whites for eggs, subbed in 1/2 white whole wheat flour), but I also used only half of the sugar it calls for and added some vanilla and cinnamon. I also subbed skim milk for the water. It's about 60 calories less and 4.4(!)g of fat less per slice and is higher in fiber and has less sodium and carbs. And can we get 3 cheers for NO cholesterol?!? Also, I like that the protein per slice stays the same, even without the butter and entire egg.

Here's a pic:

All in all, it turned out really well and tasted great. FYI, if you have a sweet tooth, it might be a little low on the sweetness for you, so if you make it, you may want to use the full portion of sugar.

Bon appetit!