INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups whole grain pastry flour
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup steeped green tea, cooled to room temperature
• 1/4 cup safflower or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the egg whites, yogurt, green tea, oil, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until just combined.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg white mixture. Mix until well combined, then evenly fold in the walnuts.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes on the middle rack in the oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Serve with 1 teaspoon nut butter.

Makes 8 (1-inch-thick) servings

Why we love this recipe:

Ring in the new year with my antioxidant-rich eating plan that will keep you feeling energized, add a youthful glow to your skin, and help you slim down, all while enjoying delicious foods! Not only is this Green Tea Loaf from The O2 Diet super yummy, but it’s loaded with body-boosting ingredients!

You’ll get major health benefits from green tea, an O2 Diet powerfood, which helps mop up nasty little free radicals that can cause oxidative damage to the body, and has been proven to help melt away abdominal fat when incorporated into an exercise routine. Green tea may also decrease the risk of skin and lung cancer as well as help prevent strokes.

Plus, low-fat yogurt not only lends its naturally tangy taste to this quick bread, but it’s packed with bone-building calcium, satisfying protein, and probiotics to keep digestion efficient.

Finally, walnuts are superstars! These tasty nuts contain alpha-linolenic acid–an essential omega-3 fatty acid–and antioxidant polyphenols that have been shown to be protective against memory loss. In fact, researchers at Tufts University found that walnuts may even reverse some signs of brain aging.

To your health in 2011!

Posted on: Jan 4, 2011

Tags: antioxidant, green tea, low-fat, O2 Diet, walnuts, yogurt