Chocolate Chip Loaf: A Teen Dream Delight

I have teenagers. All they want to eat is sugar and salt. And now they’re tall enough and ornery enough to skulk into the kitchen and consume, locust-like, all the candy and chips and crap that manages to sneak its way into the house. Whether I like it or not.

I realize that I shouldn’t complain. I’ve moved past the days when I had to do irrational things to get my kids to eat healthy. I used to dye my daughter’s milk pink, for instance, so she would get some calcium in her diet. Dinners featured a ring-toss game with edamame beans, in an attempt to get my son to get something green down his gullet.

The Terrible Twos Teens

Now, however, tricks don’t work. Both kids question everything and have developed various phobias about foods they once loved. My daughter won’t eat hamburgers, chicken, or sandwiches, and has decided she needs to be lactose-free (except when it comes to ice cream). My son cringes when he smells a banana or sees a carrot. He hates smoothies and yogurt. On top of this, my wife can’t eat gluten. So it’s impossible to make healthy food for this family that makes everyone happy.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Bread for the Win

This bread recipe was a hit among a million misses. I did make a couple alterations. I swapped out the whole wheat flour for gluten-free flour. And I used nonfat, not low-fat, yogurt. Other than that, I followed the recipe, which I didn’t find too hard to make. I had all the ingredients on hand.

Did the kids like it? Yes. We all did. My daughter gave it a 10 out of 10, and I had to stop her from eating the whole thing. That wasn’t exactly surprising; she tends to enjoy any kind of pastry or baked treat. My son, on the other hand – well, the recipe included bananas and yogurt. So I was doubtful he’d try it, let alone eat and like it. Historically, he doesn’t eat banana bread, even with chocolate chips involved.

But he did eat this bread. In terms of texture, taste, appearance, he said it earned a 6 out of 10. He didn’t ravish the loaf like his sibling, but he did eat a hefty hunk, and said he would eat it again.

My wife and I both thought it was great. Not every recipe translates well when I substitute with gluten-free flour, but this one accommodated the variation well.

I highly recommend this delicious, moist breakfast treat or dessert. Your family will feel spoiled, but you’ll feel virtuous as they down the vitamins and fiber and yes, the banana.