Soul Food · Authentic-ish Soul Food
Banana Pudding
237 kcal a serving, against 412 for the traditional version. That is 175 kcal off, or 42%, with 8.3g of protein. Serves 8. 50 minutes plus chilling.
What the traditional version is
The usual method is to make a homemade custard with whole milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla, layering it warm into a dish with vanilla biscuits and sliced bananas. Some top with whipped cream, others with meringue. Chill, then spoon out enormous helpings. The custard is thick, deeply yellow from the yolks and rich with vanilla.
What changed, and what each change costs
Whole milk for skimmed milk
Whole milk gives you richness, body and flavour. Skimmed milk is all the protein and calcium with none of the cream. You'll need to thicken the custard more carefully to make up for the missing fat.
What it costs you. The custard is paler and not nearly as silky. You do lose a bit of that 'childhood pudding' comfort.
Sugar for a mix of sugar and sweetener
Bananas bring plenty of sugar on their own, so I swap half the sugar for a granulated sweetener good for baking. The real benefit is you can pile more on without feeling like you've made a dentist appointment.
What it costs you. There's a faint aftertaste if you use a cheap sweetener, so pick one you'd actually stir into coffee. The sweetness lacks the rounded edge of real sugar.
Whole eggs for more whites and fewer yolks
All the protein is in the white, and most of the fat is in the yolk. I use 2 whole eggs and 4 more whites to bump up the protein and lighten the custard, but still keep enough yolk for body.
What it costs you. It isn't as golden or as rich. The texture is slightly looser and doesn't quite coat the back of a spoon.
Double cream topping for a light meringue
Cream is lovely, but you can make a fluffy meringue with just egg whites and a whisper of sugar, which looks flashier and saves a fair chunk of fat.
What it costs you. You miss that cold, creamy layer on top. Meringue looks impressive but isn't nearly as lush to eat.
Biscuits for a slightly smaller amount
Biscuits are pure starch and not exactly a protein power move. I hold back a little on the amount and focus on more banana and thicker custard between.
What it costs you. A few less biscuits, so you might miss the crunch in every bite, especially the first spoonful. But there's still enough to know you're eating pudding and not some odd banana soufflé.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 412 | 237 |
| Protein | 10.1g | 8.3g |
| Fat | 18.6g | 6.8g |
| Saturated fat | 9.4g | 2.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.2g | 37.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.4g | 3.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Soul Food prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
If you want the full pudding-house nostalgia, stick with the original - no one will ever beat yolks, full milk and cream for comfort. The lightened banana pudding is still creamy, still sweet, and still gives you that lovely banana hit, but it's more delicate than decadent. The meringue on top looks fancy, but it won't fool you for cream. Still worth making if you'd like banana pudding without inheriting your nan's cholesterol.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Soul Food, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.