Let’s be honest here: every once and a while, we get cravings.
For me, personally, it is most often chocolate. At nearly any point of the day, any meal of the day, I wish I could just get my hands on some chocolate, and then, everything will be fine. Unfortunately, chocolate sometimes enters our lives as a result of an impulse buy.
You’re standing in line at the cafeteria, minutes before class starts, you see a candy bar, and voila – a seemingly simple solution to your hunger. Satisfied? Maybe. But take a look at the nutritional facts on the flip side, and you may just lose some self-satisfaction. Chock full of preservatives and who-knows-what that ingredient is, it all begs the question: do we really have to sacrifice nutritional value in order to quell our cravings?
With a Nutella and banana sandwich, the answer is no. Though it may not be totally devoid of carbs, and though you will not end up with a negative calorie count at the end, this recipe is easy and quick to prepare, and you get a serving of fruit from it. Although it is like many sandwiches (it does not travel perfectly), the truth is, especially where chocolate is concerned, the messier the better.
And yes, perhaps the chocolate obsession seems to surface more in the dialogue between women. But rest assured, this recipe is boy-tested, boy-approved. That being said, I warn you: with great power comes great responsibility. You may just find your family and friends requesting you to whip up this chocolaty delight for them in the future.
So next time you’re at the grocery store, grab a jar of nutella, bananas, and the rest of the ingredients if they haven’t already become a staple of your pantry. No more candy bars for you: this is the real deal.

Quelling-Your-Cravings Cinnamon-Sugar Sandwiches

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 slices Italian bread
1/4 cup sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 jar Nutella hazelnut spread
2 ripe bananas, sliced

What to do:

Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Put butter in pan to melt (if you’re making in batches, don’t use the butter all at once). Place bread on pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, and flip. Cook for a few seconds so the cinnamon sugar adheres, be careful it doesn’t burn. Flip the bread to toast the unsugared side.
When toasted, remove from pan. Spread Nutella on unsugared side and arrange bananas on top of Nutella. Put slices (sugar side down) back on the pan to cook until just melted. Combine slices to make 4 sandwiches. Serve (with fresh fruit, if you like) and enjoy!