Bantry’s Heather shows baking can be healthy – and award-winning!

A nurse in Bantry Hospital has won an award for her dairy and gluten-free banana bread which she says proves healthy baking can also be delicious. 

Heather O’Sullivan, originally from Dunmanway and now living in Kealkill, was a winner in a nationwide competition to find Ireland’s Best Banana Bread Recipes conducted by celebrity chef Donal Skehan with the support of banana distributors, Fyffes.

Heather O’Sullivan

Heather has followed a gluten and dairy-free diet for several years now having been very ill with chest infections and even being hospitalised at one stage with pneumonia. 

An avid baker from a young age, Heather says she always had an interest in food and is ‘passionate about nutrition, using wholefoods and making healthy treats for all the family to enjoy’ 

Commenting on her ‘Chocolate Banana Bread’ winning recipe she added: ‘I’ve always had a competitive nature and used to take part in baking competitions at agricultural shows along with my mother and grandmother. When I heard of the Fyffes Great Banana Bread Bake off, it was only natural that I would want to take part.’

A nurse in St Joseph’s in Bantry Hospital, where she cares for the elderly, she said baking is a great way for her to de-stress from work, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Among her family’s favourites are her brown bread, devoured by husband Derry; along with scones, brownies and cup cakes which her kids Sean (8) and Ava (6) are big fans of.  

She said her dairy and gluten free baking shows that people can enjoy tasty baked goods, even if they have health issues or food intolerances. 

‘It’s all about taking control of your own health,’ she said. For more see her Instagram page @heathers.nutrition.photography.