Healthified Zucchini Bread

The holidays are full of sweets and good food for most people whether they choose to celebrate or not. Grocery stores showcase a huge array of beautifully decorated pastries, commercials depict happy, healthy individuals blissfully enjoying holiday treats, friends and families constantly discuss food, recipes and preparation methods. In western societies it is difficult to escape the sweet eating holiday frenzy.  The saying goes, ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’ And here is a great recipe to fulfill that sweet tooth but still eat clean and healthy. With half the amount of sugar and fat as regular zucchini bread, it also provides loads of fiber, vitamins and minerals but without sacrificing flavor or texture.

Healthified Zucchini Bread

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

4 cups freshly grated zucchini

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup plain apple sauce (no sugar added)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup unbleached flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup walnuts optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease the bread pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, oil, sugar, apple sauce, eggs and vanilla.

3. In a medium sized bowl, mix the unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking

powder, salt and cinnamon. Make sure the ingredients mixed well.

4. Pour flour mixture into the zucchini mixture and stir well.

5. If you are using the walnuts, fold them in now.

6. Finally pour batter into 2 bread pans and bake for one hour and fifteen minutes.

7. Remove zucchini from bread pans and allow them to cool on rack for at least ten minutes

before cutting.