When 4 PM Hits and Your Willpower Packs Its Bags…(A Mama-Friendly Banana Bread That Saves the Day)

Hey there mamas!

How often do you promise yourself you will cut, or limit drastically, sugar? You start your day promising: avocado with egg whites for breakfast, lettuce with chicken for lunch. By midday, you’ve already drunk almost 2 liters of water, so the target for three seems achievable. You are so proud of yourself: your skin will glow and those last few kilos from pregnancy will finally go away.

And then… it’s 4 pm. Your energy levels start to dip after the early wake-up, prepping the whole family and juggling deadlines at the office. It’s time for a second coffee and… there it is, demanding and uncontrollable. The need for “something sweet.”

Does this sound familiar to you? It certainly describes me. So if you relate to the above situation, let me introduce you to one recipe I recently came up with. It’s a healthy dessert, with no refined sugar at all, which satisfies my need for “something sweet” and is incredibly filling. If that sounds interesting to you, here is the recipe for my Healthy Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter!

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas (the spottier, the better!)

• 2 eggs

• 3 tbsp natural peanut butter (no sugar added)

• 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional, if you want a touch of sweetness)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• A pinch of salt

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips

• A sprinkle of cinnamon (because cozy vibes are mandatory!)

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the eggs, peanut butter, honey (if using), and vanilla. Mix until creamy and well combined.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not overmix—banana bread likes to stay chill.

5. Add the chocolate chips and give it one last loving stir.

6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (except for a little melted chocolate, which is allowed!).

7. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

I will be honest with you: your children might not jump for joy over this dessert. I mean, if they like it, good for them. Mine did not. But for me and my purposes, it works perfectly. So this is not a recipe destined to make children happy. It is a recipe dedicated to you, mama. To you who try to maintain or improve your silhouette but still need a piece of sweetness in the day… after all, mama values, right?

Slice a piece, make yourself a warm cup of coffee or tea, wrap up in your favorite blanket, and let the world wait for just ten minutes. Bonus points if you light a candle and play your favorite chill playlist. Because sometimes, the sweetest thing isn’t just the banana bread—it’s the pause you allow yourself to savor it.

Love, Katerina