Experts recently raised a surprising concern about one of Britain’s favourite afternoon bakes: banana bread.
Scientists at a biotechnology company in Norwich have developed non-browning bananas, genetically modified fruit designed to remain yellow and edible for several extra days.
Tropic, the firm responsible for the development, says the bananas could significantly reduce food waste. If adopted on a large scale, the company estimates they could help cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by 9million tonnes.
Yet experienced home bakers know there is a downside: without soft, overripe bananas, a loaf can lose much of its characteristic sweetness and flavour.
The development also raises another question: should we be eating less of this popular bake, which is often considered a healthier choice than a standard slice of chocolate cake?
‘Banana bread has a healthy image because it contains fruit, but it can actually provide similar levels of sugar, fat and calories to other cakes,’ explains Nichola Ludlam-Raine, dietitian and author of How Not To Eat Ultra Processed.
So how nutritious is banana bread really, and can a few simple changes make a homemade loaf kinder to your waistline? Nutrition experts share their verdict.
Banana bread enjoyed a major surge in popularity during the Covid-19 lockdowns
What’s in banana bread?
Banana bread first emerged in 1930s America, when home cooks began looking for ways to use overripe bananas, which had become increasingly easy to buy.
At the same time, baking powder was becoming a more familiar supermarket staple, encouraging households to try new methods and recipes in the kitchen.
Although banana bread is widely available in shops and cafés, many people still prefer to bake a loaf at home.
A traditional recipe usually combines butter, sugar, eggs, self-raising flour, a little salt and very ripe bananas.
Based on a typical recipe, one slice contains approximately 268 calories, 13g of fat, including 8g of saturated fat, 24g of sugar, 3.8g of protein and 0.5g of salt. It also provides just 1g of fibre, which is important for healthy digestion.
‘Some of the roughly six teaspoons of sugar in a slice comes naturally from the bananas and therefore does not count towards the daily 30g limit for “free” sugars,’ says Ms Ludlam-Raine. However, she points out that the recipe also contains a substantial amount of added sugar, meaning the natural fruit sugar may account for only about a third of the total.
In practical terms, a single slice can therefore contain more than half of the recommended daily allowance for free sugars.
The saturated fat content is also significant, equating to around 40 per cent of a woman’s recommended daily limit and approximately a quarter of a man’s. Eating too much saturated fat can affect heart health.
Even so, that amount is broadly comparable to the saturated fat found in a serving of Greek yoghurt.
How does it compare to more indulgent cakes?
Good news if you’re a carrot cake fan – there’s little difference, nutrition-wise, between the two, apart from a teaspoon extra sugar.
A slice of homemade carrot cake contains around 279 calories, 6-7g of saturated fat, 28g of sugar, 3g of protein and a small 1g of fibre.
Both carrot and banana bread are far better options than chocolate cake, says Ro Huntriss, a consultant dietitian and chief nutrition officer at weight-loss platform Simple Life App.
‘Victoria sponge and chocolate cake are the most indulgent per portion, with around twice the calories of the banana bread and considerably more sugar and saturated fat,’ she says.
‘However, people tend to have larger portions of cake, compared to banana bread because of the way you cut it. So consider eating a much smaller slice.’
A slice of Victoria sponge contains around 435 calories, 18g of saturated fat, 24g of sugar and 1.5g of fibre while a slice of chocolate cake contains 523 calories, 18g of saturated fat, 47g of sugar and 2g of fibre.
If you fancy a biscuit that won’t have too much of an impact on the scale, Ms Huntriss suggests opting for a Rich Tea or Digestive.
A Rich Tea contains a small 38 calories, 0.6g of saturated fat and 1.5g of sugar. Meanwhile, a Digestive contains a modest 76 calories, 1.5g of saturated fat and 2.5g of sugar.
‘But keep to two or three biscuits. Eating half a packet will make the swap pointless,’ says Ms Huntriss.
How do you make banana bread healthy?
Adding more bananas is one simple way to up the fibre – which we all need more of – and reduce the added sugar in your weekly slice.
‘Fruit can add fibre but also potassium. This means you’re getting benefits you wouldn’t get with similar cake without fruit,’ says Ms Ludlam-Raine.
In the UK, most adults only get about 18g of fibre a day, according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA) – considerably lower than the recommended 30g per day.
Low fibre can cause problems with digestion that raise the risk of bowel cancer.
Fibre – found in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains – has also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Potassium, meanwhile, is crucial for healthy blood pressure.
Dietician Nicola Ludlam Raine advises swapping out sugar for more banana and adding oats, seeds and nuts as a topping
A typical banana contains around 3g of fibre, meaning you might get an extra half a gram or so depending on the size of your slice. But making sure you lose some of the sugar is key.
‘Very ripe bananas provide sweetness and moisture, which can allow you to use less added sugar,’ adds Ms Ludlam-Raine.
‘But it isn’t necessarily a straight gram-for-gram swap, because sugar also affects texture and browning, so I’d start with a recipe designed to use less added sugar.’
As well as fruit, adding nuts, seeds, oats and/or wholemeal flour to your bake can boost the fibre content.
Although this may increase the calorie content slightly, experts say it’s likely to be worth it for the extra nutrients.
With banana bread’s fairly high saturated fat content, you might also want to consider swapping out some of the butter.
‘Try using rapeseed oil or natural yoghurt instead of large amounts of butter which can lower the saturated fat content,’ says Ms Huntriss.
Greek yoghurt can be a good partial substitute too, plus it also provides some protein to help keep you fuller for longer.