Two bread favorites are combined in this healthy treat spiced with hints of cardamom and cinnamon! Try this zucchini banana bread for a great make-ahead breakfast or post-workout snack!
We have all heard it before. When you have leftover ripened bananas make banana bread!  Well, what if you have an excess of both bananas and zucchini in your kitchen? To prevent food waste, I figured the two quick breads favorites could blend nicely together to make a zucchini banana bread. Could this be the new peanut butter and jelly, or rice and beans? Probably not, but I promise you it is delicious as a quick bread!
The Freezer is Your Friend
Since 2015, it is estimated that about 40% of food made in America is gone to waste. According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), up to $120 worth of groceries is wasted per an average household of four in the United States.  If you account for all of these households across the nation, that's billions of dollars in a year. The NRDC suggests freezing your leftovers within 3-4 days and fresh fruits and vegetables that show no signs of mold. Storing extra foods in the freezer can make it easy to forget it's there. The NRDC recommends to keep your freezer organized and meals easily accessible.What's more upsetting is that while we continue wasting food, we cannot forget that there are others having trouble accessing food.
Social Media is Not the Only Beauty Critic
What would you say if I told you that most produce is wasted because it is either deformed or just "ugly"? Sad, right? These produce items are rejected by retailers and most likely end up in a landfill. This leads to the food waste issue which then leads to environmental issues that we are all unfortunately aware of.
The Ugly Fruit and Vegetable Campaign, mentioned in a recent article by Food and Nutrition Magazine encourages consumers and retailers to buy this "ugly" produce. Retailers can sell the produce at a better value which is a win-win given it makes foods more affordable for consumers. We have all heard the saying that beauty is on the inside that counts. Well, this is true for the "ugly" produce. This campaign is trying to encourage customers that the nutrients are truly the same in both aesthetic and deformed food items.
Ugly Produce is Beautiful is another campaign trying to influence consumers and retailers to be less judgmental. Â Sarah Phillips, a pioneer in the food industry, creates gorgeous images and recipes to make our society more aware of these easily rejected food items.
Besides these inspiring campaigns, there is even an app called Food For All that delivers leftover food from restaurants for a cheaper cost. College students, rejoice!
Zucchini Banana Bread for Breakfast or a Post-Workout Snack!
Whether it is breakfast, dessert, or a snack, this quick bread provides a good source of potassium, fiber, and carbohydrates. To make it more balanced and hunger-fighting, add a protein like one tablespoon of nut butter. Another option? Serve it with a 6oz serving of protein-rich yogurt (or a dairy alternative).  Adding in the recommended protein will benefit those hard-working muscles post exercise.
The zucchini banana bread recipe includes both whole white and whole wheat flour. If you prefer avoiding the white flour altogether, use 1 ½ cups of whole wheat flour for the dry ingredients portion. Don't miss out on the flax seed meal! It adds in beneficial omega 3's and fiber to make this bread more nutrient dense than other baked goods. Did I mention that this bread only uses ⅓ cup of vegetable oil? Thanks to the nutritious zucchini and banana pulp, this bread is still just as soft as other versions. The warm flavors of cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice will make you forget that this is also refined sugar-free!
I would like to give a very special thanks to my mother-in-law. This recipe was created with her tremendous help and support. Not only is she a beautiful person inside and out she is also an incredible baker!
Notes
* If you prefer not to use white flour, use 1 ½ cups of whole wheat flour for the total flour portion.
**Optional toppings: dried fruits, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole white flour*
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
- ¾ to 1 cup banana, mashed (about 2 small bananas)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup grated zucchini (about one small zucchini)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional**
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients (not including the walnuts) in a large bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the wet ingredients and then combine with the dry.
- Stir in the zucchini and optional toppings, such as the walnuts, dried fruit, etc.
- Pour batter into a greased or non-stick loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes using a clean knife or toothpick to test if it's done.
Kathryn Pfeffer-Scanlan MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian and recent transplant to Boulder, CO. After working as an inpatient dietitian for almost five years in Boston, she is expanding her expertise in the health and wellness industry. Katie is passionate about cooking and food photography, sharing her culinary adventures on her food blog, One Hungry Bunny, and exploring her new Rocky Mountain surroundings. Follow Katie on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
