Banana Bread Granola Recipe

Today's Chef: Amity Warme

It’s no surprise Amity Warme has become one of our go-to sources for recipes to fuel and recovery from strenuous workouts - she’s a student of nutrition and world-class athlete. That means it’s not only her job, it’s also her passion.

Easier to Prepare

This simple recipe is so easy to prepare that even a first-time home cook can breeze through it with minimal stress. It involves combining ingredients in two steps, forming clumps, baking, and stirring. Easy peasy.

Pre-Workout. Post-Workout, or Whenever You're Hungry

This recipe packs a punch due to its base of oats and bananas. Both are typically well-tolerated before intense training unless you get carried away with the quantity.

Oats are a great source of beta glucan and are recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine because of this.

Oats contain a type of soluble fiber (beta glucan) that makes cooked oats gluey—but can be beneficial for endurance athletes. Beta glucan slows the absorption of carbs over 2 to 3 hours, helping you feel satiated for a long time. Hence, oatmeal sticks to your ribs; it’s a good pre-exercise choice for sustained energy.

Bananas provide additional carbohydrates and are rich in potassium, magnesium, B6, and fiber.

Once made, this granola is great to eat before early morning workouts because it doesn't require further prep. Just add your choice of milk (dairy or plant-based) and a spoon.

It's good post-workout as well to provide carbohydrates to replenish glycogen and protein to support tissue repair. Want to use this recipe specifically for an on-the-go post-workout meal? Try increasing the almond butter or tahini (whichever you choose to use) and doubling the Recovery Protein content. We have yet to try this, but plan to experiment soon.

We also like to keep it on hand as a healthy snack to keep us from reaching for junk food. Much of the allure of processed-sugar laden junk food is its convenience. Having healthier alternatives readily available can help keep you from making food choices you'll regret afterward. An occasional piece of candy isn't a big deal for most of us, but getting in the habit of reaching for it regularly can make it harder to reach or maintain our physique goals.

Portability - it's a Thing

Granola travels well too, which is great to help reduce food cost and eat healthier while away from home. Taking the stress out of eating well while on the road goes a long way toward making away-from-home adventures and business trips more enjoyable. Packing a few days worth of this is easier than finding matching socks.