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Make it Natural: Healthier Zucchini Bread
| Meet the Blogger | More Posts by Alana Sugar
Summer zucchini season inspired Jill, one of our Whole Story readers, to request a healthier version of her mom's zucchini bread recipe, since mom's version used loads of vegetable oil.
Thanks for the opportunity to play around with this! We love zucchini bread too - one of summer's best treats and an excellent way to use up an abundance of summer squash. Typical recipes do call for a lot of oil (a cup of oil in batter? Yuck!), so we cut back on that and made a few other improvements as well. Check out our Healthier Zucchini Bread recipe.
Here's a rundown on how we updated this classic to improve the nutritional profile:
- Substituting whole wheat flour for enriched white flour adds fiber-you'll get about 3 grams of fiber in each serving of our zucchini bread-as well as important vitamins and minerals.
- Applesauce is a naturally fat-free ingredient that can be substituted for oil in many baked good recipes-try it! It also contributes some vitamins and minerals, such as potassium and vitamin C, that traditionally would not be there.
- Yogurt, an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and iodine, is another ingredient that can be substituted for some of the oil in baked good recipes-in this zucchini bread we added two tablespoons.
- Zucchini is the low-calorie, naturally fat-free secret ingredient and hidden vegetable in this recipe. The cup of zucchini used in the recipe contributes essential nutrients such as fiber, iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin C and magnesium.
- You can never go wrong with walnuts! Our recipe calls for 1/3 cup walnuts, adding protein, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium. They are lower in saturated fats, higher in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic (ALA).
- Per serving, when compared to a more traditional zucchini bread, (with more oil!), our recipe saves about 70 calories and 4 grams of fat while adding 2 grams of fiber.
So, the next time your neighbor hands you some zucchini over the fence, you'll be ready with this recipe. And try some of our other tips for improving the nutrition of your homemade baked goods.
Got a recipe that needs a natural makeover? Post it in the comments section below! If we select your recipe for a healthy makeover and publish the improved version on our website, we'll send you a $25 Whole Foods Market gift card. We're starting work on our holiday plans, so think ahead to some of your favorite seasonal recipes you'd like to see improved and let us know!
Send us your idea for a chance to win a $25 gift card!
39 Comments
Comments
I would love to see a healthier version of "Fruit Pizza". Most of the recipes call for a crust of refrigerated sugar cookie dough and a cream cheese/ frozen non-dairy topping as the "cheese". This can't be real helathy, but I can see potential as a great summer treat. Thanks!
07/01/2009 10:39:51 AM CDT
A healthier version of red velvet cake would be awesome--finding a way to get the typically artificial coloring natural, and still get the finished product to stay that deep, luscious red.
07/01/2009 4:06:14 PM CDT
My mom's poppy seed cake is hands-down the best poppy seed cake I've had and it's so simple, too. However, it is loaded with hydrogenated oil, hfcs for the cake mix, and tons of fat. I'd like to see a healthier, more natural version of this cake that stands up to the original without processed cake mix.
Recipe:
1 box Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden cake mix
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup poppyseeds
Mix well and pour into a greased/dusted with sugar bundt pan. Bake 50 min-1 hour @ 350*
You may drizzle with lemon icing if you wish but not necessary.
07/01/2009 6:55:10 PM CDT
My family love mashed potatoes —chunky, skin-left-in or just the plain old creamy ones. However, most recipes call for tons of butter and heavy cream, which means loads of calories and fat. Are there workarounds to lower those calories while keep the potatoes moist and flavorful?
07/01/2009 8:28:11 PM CDT
I just made a killer sesame salmon recipe. Salmon painted with natural sage honey, sea salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds sprinkled on top, baked @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It is so mouth wateringly delicious!!
07/01/2009 11:19:05 PM CDT
I need help with a jam recipe. I love how it tastes to make strawberry or peach jam (peaches from our tree) but the recipe I have uses about 50/50 of fruit to sugar mixture. Is there any way to have this still taste great and have it healthier? I can email the whole recipe if you want. I'd love to have this entered in the $25 recipe make-over drawing.
Sincerely,
Deborah
07/02/2009 11:49:59 PM CDT
Make Funfetti Cupcakes natural!!! so good!
07/07/2009 1:43:22 PM CDT
My favorite dish is broccoli casserole but its so full of cheese and mayonnaise. What can I do to make it at least a little healthier?
07/07/2009 4:07:03 PM CDT
Hi..
I was WONDERING IF you possibly had a homemade recipe for a wholesome-healthy idea for an energy bar? all natural all the better. Any ideas?! Help!
07/07/2009 10:24:55 PM CDT
I absolutely LOVE macaroni and cheese. The creamier and cheesier, the better. How can I make this a more healthy comfort food?
07/08/2009 4:46:11 PM CDT
Peach shortcake is summer classic. Though it's very satisfying and delicious, it's not healthy. Is there some ways to build a a lighter -but still tasty- peach shortcake?
Ingredients
Shortcakes
3 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Peaches
2 lb. fresh ripe peaches, about 6
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
Filing
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipped cream
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lime peel
Directions
Prepare Shortcakes:
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Toss with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas. (Or pulse several times in a food processor.) Combine the cream and vanilla in a liquid measure. Make a well in the center of the flour and and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just combined; it should look shaggy and still feel a little dry. Gently knead by hand five or six times to create a loose ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into an 8-inch square, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment, cover with plastic and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the dough from refrigerator. Cut the dough into 9 even squares and spread them about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet. Bake until the biscuits are medium golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
Prepare peaches:
Wash peaches, peel. Cut in halves, remove pits. Slice peaches thinly into a medium bowl, or crush coarsely. Sprinkle peaches with sugar. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
Prepare Filling:
In another medium bowl, with mixer at medium speed, combine cream cheese and sugar. With rubber spatula, gently fold in whipped cream and lime peel.
To serve, split Shortcakes in half. Place bottom half of a Shortcake on each of 9 dessert plates. Top with Filling and Peaches; replace Shortcake tops.
07/11/2009 4:52:38 PM CDT
I love your cranberry tea bread I buy in your store. Can you change some ingredients to make it healthier?
12/23/2012 3:59:13 AM CST
The link takes me to the whole food market recipe page, but the zucchini bread recipe is not there. Please help!
05/07/2013 11:18:05 AM CDT
@BRITTANI - We had a website redesign last year and since this is an older post, the recipe is not longer on our website under the same title. I believe this is the same recipe: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/zucchini-bread.
05/09/2013 12:24:47 PM CDT