Banana bread typically has pretty horrific nutritionals, so we set out to create a guilt-free version. And (tada!) here it is.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup no-sugar-added applesauce
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional Toppings: no-calorie spray butter, Cool Whip Free

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, Splenda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (in other words, all dry ingredients). In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, egg substitute, applesauce, and vanilla extract (all the wet ingredients). Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended. Spoon batter into a large loaf pan (about 9" X 5") sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, and then cut into 8 slices. If you like, spritz with some spray butter or spread on some Cool Whip Free. MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Banana bread's been popular with bakers and food-chewers since the 1930s. Chefs, moms, and other oven operators love it 'cuz it's easy to prepare (no annoying dough to knead, no fancy bread machine necessary, etc.). People like to eat it 'cuz it's sweet, cakey, and delicious. BUT sadly, butter and sugar are just two of the top offenders in a typical BB recipe. Your basic slice (whether homemade by someone's grandma or bought at a bakery) contains an average of over 325 calories and an astonishing 12g fat! For a piece of fruity bread!?! And keep in mind, that's for regular plain old banana bread. The ones loaded with nuts are even worse! A slice of Starbucks' Banana Nut Loaf could set you back as much as 470 calories and 24 fat grams. (Nutritionals vary by location.) Yikes! Ditch that banana drama and all the other crazy-fatty versions. Instead, indulge in a huge hunk of HG's Top Banana Bread.