Peanut Butter & Banana Toast

One of the simplest, quickest breakfasts, and my absolute daily go-to! You can never go wrong with peanut butter and banana toast, so I hope this becomes your new daily breakfast too!

Whole grain bread is the best choice in order to ensure that this breakfast keeps you full until your next meal. Whole grains contain bran and germ, which both keep your skin glowing and hair shiny. Whole grains can also help reduce the risk for heart disease and diabetes. When shopping for whole grain bread, make sure you check the label to avoid tricky words like multi-grain, cracked wheat, seven-grain and bran, and keep an eye for any colorants like molasses - not all whole-grain products are super brown! Make sure to also choose breads that are high in fiber and low in sugar - it should keep you full after all!

Peanut butter is not only a delicious, salty but sweet spread; it's actually incredibly nutritious when eaten in moderation! Ensuring that the type of peanut butter you buy is good quality is super important though - aim to buy one that is made of peanuts only and has no added sugars or other additives. Some may contain a layer of oil on top when you open it - that's totally normal for natural peanut butters! Also, make sure to buy organic varieties, as non-organic peanut butters are high in pesticides and contain aflatoxin, which is a carcinogenic mold. Peanuts are full of protein, which is a necessary part of our diets as our bodies need it to repair and make new cells, and it is needed to fight infection, carries nutrients around the body, builds and contracts muscles and keeps our bodily fluids in balance.

Also, did you know that peanuts have been used to help detect Alzheimer's disease? And a small spoon of peanut butter is a tried and tested way to get rid of hiccups - I figured this one out by accident years ago and it's a perfect hiccup reliever!

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world, and for good reason - they're creamy, sweet and filling! They are full of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, potassium and fiber. They have also been proven to help fight stress. Using bananas here is great for texture - crunchy toast and creamy banana and peanut butter is the ultimate combo!

The slivered almonds here are great for added texture and are also a fantastic source of nutrients! They contain monounsaturated fats, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, calcium, fiber and protein! Did you know that almonds aren't actually nuts - they're the pit of the almond fruit!

A sprinkling of raw cacao powder here is perfect for the addition of a superfood! Cacao is the tree and cocoa is the powder we buy, but you can also find raw cacao powder, which contains lots of phytochemicals and minerals, such as protein, calcium, caretene, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium and sulfur. These can help improve heart health, cholesterol, stress levels and symptoms of depression!

You can really make this recipe your own, we've just given you the basics! Using different fruits, or sprinkling with cinnamon works too! And you can even try using other nut butters if that's your preference.

If you recreate this recipe, be sure to post it on Instagram and tag us @lorrainekearneynutrition; we love to see you eating delicious, nutritious foods!