All over the internet I see photos of toast topped with peanut butter and sliced bananas. Good…but I have something better. I like to call this “banana smash toast.” Smashed bananas have the best texture underneath creamy peanut butter. And this toast makes a perfect pre-workout breakfast.
Why Smash?
Not only does smashing your banana make this toast slightly easier to eat (no more bananas falling into your lap!) but the smashing breaks down the banana cells in such a way that (in my opinion) it’s sweeter and softer. Or you could say “fluffier!”
How To
A lot of people on the internet put their peanut butter down first and put banana slices on top, but I think the peanut butter gets hidden in there! So I start my banana smash by literally mashing half a banana into my *very well* toasted toast with a knife. (Obviously soft bread might tear, but toasty toast stands up well to the smash knife.)
Next comes the peanut butter on top – usually 1.5 tablespoons or so. This way you get peanut butter flavor to the max.
Next I add something crunchy like chia seeds and coconut flakes. Granola works well too!
And finally a drizzle of something sweet. Honey is the obvious choice, but I used my bourbon maple syrup from Great Harvest and fell out of my chair.
My Favorite Pre-Workout Breakfast
This is my favorite breakfast to have before my morning treadmill run because it is very energizing and satisfying. I plugged it into a recipe calculator and found it to be 330 calories, 12 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and 15 grams of sugar (mostly natural from the banana.)
The Recipe
Banana Smash Toast
Ingredients
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 1/2 banana Ripe is best! Green bananas don't smash well.
- 1.5 tbsp peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Toast bread until nice and crisp.
- Smash banana into bread with knife.
- Top with peanut butter.
- Sprinkle on chia seeds and coconut and drizzle with maple.
- Cut into four pieces to enjoy bite by bite.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
March 5, 2019 at 7:41 amSuch a simple but great breakfast idea! I love the graphic you made too, so cute. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Patricia says
March 5, 2019 at 9:14 amI don’t understand how to spread pb on top of mashed banana?! Love pb and banana together, though.
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 9:24 amGently!
Chef Hannah says
March 5, 2019 at 3:22 pmIt would seem to be so much easier and less frustrating (especially for a child making this recipe) to put the peanut butter on the bread first, then mash the banana on a paper plate and spoon the banana on top of the peanut butter ! VOILA !!
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 3:37 pmI think that the peanut butter gets hidden too much. The flavor is there but not the texture. That’s why I put it on top!
Jay says
March 5, 2019 at 9:55 amThis might be a weird question, but what’s your “go-to” grocery store bread? From the bakery is the best, but sometimes I just need to quickly grab a loaf from the store and I’m always left standing there debating.
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 10:21 amWhen I can’t get to Great Harvest, we buy Dave’s Killer from Whole Foods. Or there is another Virginia bakery there we get also.
Pat says
March 5, 2019 at 12:20 pmLove Dave’s ILLER Bread.
Ttrockwood says
March 6, 2019 at 9:38 pmHave you tried Ezekiel breads? They’re best toasted, in the grocery store usually sold frozen, i find the best peice for it at trader joe’s. Really hippie whole grain sprouted stuff ;))
+1 for dave’s killer bread, surprisingly i’ve seen it at target
Lillia says
March 5, 2019 at 10:37 amHow tasty! But unless your fork has some serious power, you’re probably not actually breaking down the banana cells…; )
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 12:13 pmYou don’t think? What causes the texture change then?
Lillia says
March 5, 2019 at 1:03 pmWell you’ve broken down the starchy flesh a little, but the cells are still intact. : )
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 1:07 pmOk!
Kori says
March 5, 2019 at 10:52 amI signed up for The Lucky Kidney Run through my work, and I’ll be attempting a 6K run in a few weeks. Toast with nut butter seems to be the best thing for my stomach (it seemed to work wonders when I ran a 10K in 2016!), so I’ll be making this! Do you ever switch to hot tea instead of coffee so that it doesn’t potentially upset your stomach on a run? I did that as well, and while I cannot narrow down what all helped me, it was the best run I’ve ever had. 🙂
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 12:14 pmI have a pretty consistent stomach. And the caffeine is a great ergogenic aid! Aka I run faster 😉
Kori says
March 5, 2019 at 12:17 pmHaha very true! I know the excitement and adrenaline helped me a ton. But I tend to have a wonky/nervouse stomach sometimes, so I’ll have to play it by ear. But one thing is for sure, I’ll be getting some after the race! We have some amazing local coffee shops downtown where the event is being held. 🙂 Also, I would think smashing the banana would breakdown some of the cellular structure. It would be the same mechanism as chewing in my eyes. Digestion obviously goes deeper, but the act of chewing is part of said digestion process. So I think you’re on the right track.
KathEats says
March 5, 2019 at 1:09 pmThat’s what I was thinking…!
Rose Mary George says
March 22, 2019 at 12:54 amLove this pre-workout breakfast!