Snacking In The Woods
Next week we’ll be taking the kids on our once-a-year camping excursion. For one week out of the year, we pitch a tent in the wilderness and reconnect with each other in a very peaceful manner. Our choice campgrounds are always the ones with the least amenities — no running water, no camp store, no electricity — we like to rough it! The one thing that I find challenging every year though is packing food for the week.
We find that when we’re camping that we tend to be hungry more often. We’re always active, and as a result, always burning calories. Three meals a day hardly cuts it, and it can be difficult to make sure that the snacking in-between is of a somewhat substantial nature, especially for children. It would be very easy to hand them some fruit snacks or a bag of chips and call it done, but nutritionally, I want the food we eat to make an impact. Fresh fruit and granola bars are usually our number one choices, but by the end of the week, the fresh fruit is not so fresh, and we hardly want to eat another peanut butter granola bar. One thing that I’ve decided to take along this year are fruity quick breads. Specifically, Banana-Blueberry Bread. Packed with mashed banana, whole blueberries, and crunchy walnuts, each slice presents a full serving of carbohydrates and a bit of protein to give you that burst of energy you need.
Even better, these quick breads freeze beautifully. When frozen, I can pack them into the cooler, and by the third day they will be perfectly thawed and ready to eat. As with any quick bread, the best flavor develops well after baking, and I find I prefer them after they’ve been frozen and then thawed. Whether you’re going camping or just are in the mood for a quick bread, you can’t beat this combination of bananas and blueberries.
Banana-Blueberry Bread
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter — softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana — 3 to 4 medium
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries — washed
1 cup walnuts — chopped (optional)
Move the oven rack to a lower position so that the tops of the pans will be in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350ºF. Grease the bottoms only of two 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans.
Beat the sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the eggs, banana, buttermilk and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in the flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Gently fold in the blueberries and walnuts, if using. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans on a cooling rack.
Gently loosen the sides with a knife and remove from the pans. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Alternatively, wrap well and freeze the bread, removing from the freezer the evening before serving.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 90 Calories; 4g Fat (36.1% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 96mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
