This healthy zucchini banana nut bread is lightly sweet and filling enough for breakfast or a hearty snack! With hidden vegetables, it’s the perfect treat for the picky eater in your family!

This past weekend was so much fun, but I had a pretty awful “mom moment” during the course of it. (Don’t worry—this post won’t be all doom and gloom—the recipe is at the bottom as your consolation prize for listening!)

We knew Bazooka wasn’t feeling his best on Friday afternoon, but when he started acting pretty much like his usual, playful self on Saturday morning, we were bound and determined to have a wonderful day celebrating our friends’ twin girls’ first birthday.

Bazooka slept about an hour of the trip, and once we arrived to the party, he was in that half-asleep/half-awake daze for a while.

He ate pretty well (shout out to Mama P and her chicken salad!) but you could tell he wasn’t at 100% for most of the day.

Sadly, he wanted nothing to do with the Mickey and Minnie bounce house, and he was acting downright antisocial.

I’m so ashamed to say this, but I was annoyed at him.

I think it’s safe to say that Bazooka is a highly-sensitive child, and while he loves to jump on the bed and climb all over the couch, he’s often leery of new activities, especially ones that involve a lot of noise or crowds.

Couple that with not feeling his best, and of course the result is a child who’d rather watch the action than be front and center. And that’s ok!

Nevertheless, I persisted pushed him to participate. I thought to myself “why can’t you just be like the other kids and PLAY?!!!” and “why can’t you enjoy jumping like me?”

Pretty awful, right?

Gratefully, Bazooka did end up trying the bounce house. Sure, it took his daddy and me bouncing with him, but he actually had a great time toward the end.

And he slept like an angel on the way home from the party.

The next day I told Mark how awful I felt, and he admitted that he, too, had been “annoyed” (that may be too strong of a word, but you get the idea) at how afraid and reluctant Bazooka had been.

But maybe Bazooka wasn’t afraid.

Since he was a few months old, Bazooka has loved to observe. He enjoys quietly playing on his own while watching and absorbing everything around him. He also loves to investigate and figure out how his mechanical toys “work.”

And he’s perfect that way!

I suppose the lesson here is that sometimes it’s ok to sit back and watch. To calculate the risks before bouncing (pun intended) right into the action.

As a mom, it’s my hope that Bazooka carries this attitude with him all throughout life! Because children are notorious risk-takers who don’t think about the consequences until after the danger has passed.

Anyway, I’m not sure how to segue into this zucchini banana nut bread recipe except to say that it’s delicious, easy to make, and perfect for the picky and cautious child.

Healthy Zucchini Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 medium ripe banana (mashed)
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup chopped pecans
• sprinkle of rolled oats
• sprinkle of turbinado sugar

Directions

• First, preheat oven to 350° F and prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment with butter or spray (I used coconut oil spray).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until creamy.
• Next, add the oil, maple syrup, zucchini, mashed banana, and vanilla to the egg/sugar mix.
• Combine the wet and dry mixes (I added the wet to the dry), and gently mix until everything is incorporated. Gently fold in the pecans.
• Pour the mixture into loaf pan and top with a sprinkling of oats and turbinado sugar.
• Bake for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
• Allow to cool, then enjoy! This will keep in an airtight container on the counter for a few days.

   adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Bazooka loved this bread because it was sweet and familiar—even though there were light zucchini specks throughout.

And who knows? Maybe he’ll eventually step up to the plate and try zucchini in its natural state one day…when he’s ready.

Healthy zucchini banana nut bread for the pickiest of eaters! Share on X

So tell me…

• Are you a risk taker?
• If you’re a mom—have you ever felt disappointed in your child for the wrong reasons?
• What is your most creative way to use zucchini?