Bananas with benefits: This healthy dessert supports gut health and reduces stress

Bananas, blueberries and honey are a match made in heaven - (William Shaw)

If you want a sweet treat without heaping on the sugar, look no further than nutritionist Angela Dowden’s recipe for griddled bananas and blueberries.

Dowden says: “Bananas contain prebiotics which feed your good gut bacteria. Slightly less ripe bananas have more prebiotics than overripe ones.”

Griddled bananas with blueberries

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 bananas, unpeeled

8 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt

4 tbsp oatmeal or fine porridge oats

125g blueberries

Runny honey, to serve

Dowden’s book offers stress-busting recipes designed to help balance cortisol levels through healthy eating (Hamlyn)

Method:

1. Heat a ridged griddle pan over a medium-hot heat, add the bananas and griddle for 8–10 minutes, or until the skins are beginning to blacken, turning occasionally.

2. Transfer the bananas to serving dishes and, using a sharp knife, cut open lengthways. Spoon over the yogurt and sprinkle with the oatmeal or oats and blueberries. Serve immediately, drizzled with a little honey.

Recipe from ‘The Cortisol Fix Recipe Book’ by Angela Dowden (Hamlyn, £18.99).