Utter the phrase, “We’re trying to eat healthfully,” and you’re bound to be hit by an onslaught of advice and opinions on what your new health-conscious diet must entail. Low carbs. High protein. Raw foods. No red meat. Seriously, health crazes can be harder to keep up with than fashion trends (slap bracelet, anyone?). But for all the hammer pants and belly shirts that come our way, there are plenty of timeless trends that make a lasting impact. And just like the fitted cardigan and a simple strand of pearls, some food trends are just plain classic.
Simple ingredients are classic. So is knowing where your food comes from. So is eating vegetables fresh from the ground or eggs straight from the chicken. Unfortunately, making those kinds of choices can be easier said than done. There aren’t any chickens running around our apartment complex, and our tiny flowerboxes on the back deck are a bit too cozy for a bunch of carrots to set up shop. Jared and I have read and watched so much food-related business in the past few years, and it really can be overwhelming trying to figure out what choices are the right choices. Are the organic ingredients worth the extra cost? If you can’t buy organic products from a local source, does organic trump local, or vice versa? How often is too often to eat meat (especially considering that soy-based alternative protein isn’t an option for my allergy-fied self)? Ooph. It makes my head hurt just thinking about it. But then again, if we don’t think about it, we’ll be pretty hungry folks. Ooph again.
To keep ourselves sane amidst all the confusion, Jared and I have reached an agreement that we’ll try to eat as healthfully, locally, ethically and non-pesticide-y as we can, but we’re not going to let ourselves turn into the food police. Cooking, baking and eating are supposed to be fun, and so much of that fun for us comes from the discovery of new ingredients, new recipes and new ideas. Sure, that means that sometimes we’ll make bad choices, but hopefully those are outweighed by the bunches of good ones we’re trying to make, too.
In keeping with the eating-healthy theme, Jared found this banana cake recipe on PlanEat.tv, the website for a nifty little film about the road to responsible eating in terms of health, environmental and future impact. Although we definitely don’t follow a vegan diet in our casa, it never hurts to expand your horizons, try out new things and decide what you can and can’t do without (at least on occasion). I can honestly say that I didn’t miss the butter, eggs or milk in this cake, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a great vegan recipe on hand in case we need to whip it out at a moment’s notice. It’s healthy food that tastes good, too. Wait, is that Kashi’s thing? Umm … yummy food that’s good for you. Erg. I’ll work on that.
••••••••••••••••••••
Banana Cake
From PlanEat
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup water
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix sugar and oil until combined, then add the bananas. Stir in the water and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, and stir to mix.
Spread batter in a nonstick or lightly sprayed 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
••••••••••••••••••••
What’s your stance when it comes to food buying, cooking and eating choices? Is it something you spend much time thinking about? How do you gauge what food qualities are most important to you? I’d love to hear it!
XO,
Katrina
Thanks for sharing – great recipe. I might try with zucchini since my husband has an aversion to bananas. In our house we try to eat fresh or at least frozen fruits and veggies – raw, steamed or grilled. Proteins pretty much grilled, smoked or baked. Really try to watch the cans and processed boxes of food that we bring into the house. Have been eating this way for a few years now and pretty much can get in and out of the store pretty quickly now – not too much thinking about what to buy. We grow a small veggie in the backyard every Summer too.
Ooo, zucchini would be a great substitution! Isn’t it funny how fast you can do the grocery shopping when you stick to the basic, fresh ingredients? Tastes better AND it’s faster! Woo hoo!
I know that I’ve become hooked on meat without additives or hormones. I’m lucky enough to be able to buy it at Sunflower Farmers Market. I love local produce, it just tastes better!! I’m kind of a food snob when it comes to ingredients, if I CAN get local or additive free, etc, I’ll go out of my way AND spend a little extra. Not nuts enough to do all my shopping at Whole Foods or anything, but I know it makes me feel better. And I get excited about it. 🙂
It’s totally OK to be a food snob as long as you’re sharing all the yummy fruits of your labor with friends and family, which I’m sure you are. 🙂 Haha, I always used to think grown-ups were supposed to dread grocery shopping, but it can definitely be fun stuff when you’re excited about what you’re buying and making!
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it! I would love to be “green” all around but as I do not have Oprah’s bank acount or resources, I just do the best I can when I can and don’t stress the rest. 😉
Smart words to live buy. Of course, if Oprah were to offer some grocery funds, I might go a little bananas. 🙂
John and I are all about eating healthy without going overboard right now. We’re finding balance by making sure our dinners are mostly meat and veggies, eating whole grains and eating healthy snacks like cheese, fruit, hummus and veggies. Our main rule of thumb is avoiding overly processed food products, but I still need things like peanut butter. Maybe I’m fooling myself, but peanut butter doesn’t seem as bad in my head as box macaroni and cheese. I only buy organic if the price is comparable.
Healthy snacks are a good one to remember. Sometimes I put so much of my grocery-buying/cooking effort toward meals and baked goods (a weakness, ho hum), I forget about the snacky stuff until it’s 2 in the afternoon and I’m digging around for something to eat. And I’m totally with you on the peanut butter. It’s just peanuts and a bit of oil, right? No harm there. 🙂
That banana cake looks delish!
XOXO Mass
Thanks!