Banana Pudding

Banana pudding is more than just banana-flavored pudding; it is an entire dish common in the Southern states. This popular dessert is traditionally made with cooked vanilla pudding layered with bananas and vanilla wafers topped with whipped cream. In addition to the high sugar content typical of desserts, this one is also high in fat due to the combination of cream and milk.

Vanilla wafers are a fairly healthy cookie choice because they are low in sugar, but they are not very high in fiber, so I will replace them with a higher-fiber choice such as graham crackers. Not all graham crackers are created equal: Most brands are made with refined fiber instead of the original graham flour, so look for varieties with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. In order to lower the calories, I will make the pudding with skim milk and mix in some natural sweetness from mashed bananas in order to reduce the sugar.

This dessert carries a healthy serving of calcium and fruit combined in a way that your family is sure to love.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup Splenda or Truvia)
4 tablespoons corn starch
3 cups skim milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 banana, pureed in a blender
4 bananas, sliced
16 low-fat graham crackers
12 ounces plain Greek yogurt

Instructions
1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the milk, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Continue to cook and stir for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

2. Remove about 1 cup of the milk mixture and mix it with the egg yolks. Add this mixture to the rest of the milk in the pan and bring to a boil once more. Continue to cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the vanilla and pureed banana.

3. To assemble the dish, layer about half of the graham crackers on the bottom of a large glass dish. Top this with the half of the sliced bananas and then half of the pudding. Repeat layers before topping with the Greek yogurt.

4. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Serves: 8

Nutrition Content (per serving):
255 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 51 g carbohydrates, 32 g sugars, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein, 140 mg sodium, 435 mg potassium, 170 mg calcium

Note: Using Splenda or Truvia reduces the calories to 209, the carbohydrates to 39 g and the sugars to 20 g.


Editor's Note: To print only the recipe, view in "print preview" and then print only the page with directions.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a recipe rehab! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.theskinnyondietitians.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!