Whole Wheat Oatmeal Banana Bread {and a nutritional comparison of oats}

This whole wheat oatmeal banana bread is perfect with a morning cup of coffee to start your day off right!  

 I could eat bread all day long if I allowed myself, particularly banana bread.

Nine out of 10 times I choose to make my grandma’s banana nut bread recipe. But this time I was looking for something with a little more added fiber that didn’t taste like a rock or weigh several pounds (you know what I mean – certain whole wheat breads do!).  

I adapted this recipe a bit from Baked By Rachel. And as you can tell by her delicious-looking pictures, I couldn’t resist making it.  

Now I also have an excuse to eat bread for breakfast since it’s whole grain and not feel guilty about it!  Which for the record, I really don’t feel guilty about eating any specific type of food since I have come to believe that all foods can fit, just in moderation!

So besides being delicious and perfect for breakfast or snack time, this bread is also heart-healthy!  

For more information on taking charge of your health check out this cholesterol post (part 1 of a series I have started on cholesterol and your health). 

Different Types of Oats

Confused about the different kinds of oats?  Is one type of oat nutritionally superior to the other? Find out below:

Oats are an excellent food that can help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease as part of a heart healthy diet.  Below are the different types of oats along with a nutritional comparison.

Whole Oat Groats (groat is another name for a grain kernel): are the type of oats right after they are harvested and their hulls (outer inedible layer) have been removed.  This type take the longest to cook and are typically found in the health food section of grocery stores.

Steel-Cut Oats (sometimes called Irish Oatmeal): are made from whole oat groats that are cut into two or three pieces to get steel-cut oats and cook quicker than whole oats.

Old-Fashioned Oats (also called regular or rolled oats): are made when whole oat groats are steamed and rolled into flakes.  This extra process allows the oats to cook faster than steel-cut oats.

Instant Oatmeal: undergo more processing by pressing and steaming the oats to shorten cooking time.  Be aware that this type typically has added sugar or salt.

Nutritionally, whole oats, steel-cut oats and old-fashioned oats are fairly similar when it comes to their nutrition.  Instant oatmeal, however, has a bit more additives (sugar and sodium). But keep in mind the different types of instant oatmeal can vary greatly.  When researching them I found some with “low sugar” having 4 grams of sugar (Splenda added), and “high fiber”  instant oatmeal with fiber as high as 10 grams (fiber added). 

 Nutrition Information from: Bob’s Red Mill and Quaker Oats.

 Want more recipes containing oats? Check out these:

Peanut Butter and Honey Oatmeal

Simple Homemade Granola {with an extra nutritional kick}

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Granola Bars 

This Whole Wheat Oatmeal Banana Bread post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.

© 2015 Kristy Hegner     Disclaimer