Marathon Banana Bread + then some

While training for my first marathon in 2008, I learned that my diet played a big role in my training.  I learned about balancing electrolytes, and for me that meant taking in enough potassium to maintain my sodium levels. It was interesting to look at my skin on some of the hot days after a training run and see salt sporadically laced across my skin.  To avoid getting sick and loosing too much salt, I started to run with electrolyte tab enhanced water - not Gatorade because it often upset my stomach.

Similarly, I took to the internet to find some yummy recipes that might offer some potassium benefits as well as keep me entertained on the nights I stay in before a long run the next day. I stumbled across this banana bread recipe compliments of Flour’s Bakery in Boston which was featured in Runner’s World magazine. This bread is not only amazing for marathon runners, but possibly the most delicious and buttery banana bread I have ever tasted.  I have to restrain myself from calling it moist since I despise that word, but the bread really is that, too.

I baked the bread this weekend for my girlfriends and me to indulge in after our 12 mile run Saturday morning followed by hours of imbibing wine at the Virginia vineyards tours we planned.  For an extra little zah, zah, zous… I candied my own walnuts to be incorporated into the bread.   It was a great pairing to our tastings and we even got one of the Vineyard owners to try it and ask for seconds- I felt like a proud mother. 

This is the link to the runners world article on the bread:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-303-504-11861-0,00.html

and this is the link to the 5-star rated Food Network post of it (so if you don’t trust my judgment maybe you will trust that of the ever elusive food network’s):

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giadas-weekend-getaways/flours-famous-banana-bread-recipe/index.html

RECIPE:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed

2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together first four ingredients. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy. Drizzle in oil. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture and nuts. Pour batter into a buttered 9" x 4" loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 servings. Lower-fat version: Reduce oil to 1/4 cup, add 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (260 calories, 9 grams of fat).

Calories: 310

Fat: 15 g

Carbs: 41 g

Protein: 4 g

A few notes about this bread:

-          Caution: you can never have just a small bite – it’s so yummy you will be going back for seconds

-          Use over ripe bananas – they are easier to mash and add better banana flavor

-          Check the center to ensure the bread has baked through – all ovens are different

-          Adding chocolate chips is NEVER a bad idea