GO BANANAS!
What’s not good about bananas? They couldn’t be more portable, coming in their own yellow carrying case. And they’re perfect to eat any time of day:
Breakfast: Slice one up on your hot or cold cereal or muesli along with a dab of yogurt. Or add one in as the fruit ingredient in your breakfast smoothie.
Lunch: Add a banana to your peanut butter sandwich
Dinner: Make a banana a main ingredient of a fruit salad
Dessert: Make an ice cream-like dessert by freezing sliced bananas, then pureeing them in a blender and then adding in cinnamon, cocoa powder or peanut butter.
Bananas & Your Health
Bananas are one of your best sources of potassium, the mineral and electrolyte that keeps electricity flowing through your body and keeps your heart beating. Their high potassium and low sodium content can help reduce high blood pressure and also lowers your risk of stroke and heart disease.
One banana can provide you with some 10% of your daily fiber requirement, which can help keep you regular. They contain vitamin B6 which helps protect you against Type 2 diabetes. They’re also a good source of magnesium, vitamin C and manganese. And bananas are a great weight-loss food because they’re filling and sweet and can help curb cravings for other foods (such as chips and cookies!).
Varieties
Cavendish bananas are the classic type available in the U.S. They’re mildly sweet when ripe. You should choose bananas with clear yellow or green peels. The ripening process will change the peel from feeling stiff to more flexible with brown spots appearing until the entire peel darkens. To get the best flavor, you’ll need to wait until it’s yellow with a few brown spots.
Plantain or Green Bananas are larger, starchier and less sweet than the Cavendish. They’re usually eaten cooked instead of raw. In the Caribbean and Central America, plantains are a major source of carbohydrates and are fried, baked or boiled in a variety of dishes.
Bananas are the great anytime, anywhere food that are both tasty and healthy. And they’re affordable—year-round, they’re only 19 cents each at our local Trader Joe’s.