Healthy Snacks: Banana Bread

By: Mackenzie Schieck

Just like the bananas themselves, kids come in bunches when the smell of banana bread is in the air.

Going Bananas for Potassium

What's it good for?

Helps to regulate blood pressure and heart function.
Eases body stiffness by encouraging acids to leave joints.
Bananas are mellow yellow--seriously. Potassium helps to ease anxiety, irritability, and stress.

Storing Bananas

In the refrigerator: it's been said that refrigerating bananas causes them to go bad--not true! All it does is discolor the peel, but you're not going to eat that part (are you?).

In the freezer:
simply peel them, and put them in a resealable bag. Allow an hour or two to defrost.

No monkeyin' around--banana bread is a healthy snack that's sweet, just the way kids like it--but it won't have them swinging from the trees (just the way parents like it).

Need a Snack?

This quick bread packs a healthy potassium punch and is easy to make. Just a handful of simple items to mix together, and talk about a last-minute treat--what other baked good is actually better when the main ingredient has been sitting around for awhile?

Ways to serve it up:

Bake a loaf fresh for the week, then slice as you go.
Bake several loaves and freeze, pulling them out as needed. (Muffins and quick breads can be frozen for up to three months.)
Slice loaves and freeze servings individually (wrap each in cellophane, then in a resealable plastic bag). Kids can grab one from the freezer in the morning for a snack if they are going straight from school to an after-school activity.

Try some of these recipes!

Classic Banana