Recently, I was at a literary festival with a friend of mine when she got hungry. When I asked if she wanted to get some food, she declined, telling me she had brought along two bananas and an orange to keep her appetite at bay. I knew that bananas were a good source of potassium, great for keeping satiety levels normal and an excellent source of energy, but bringing two bananas at once struck me as odd. Perhaps it was because I never saw beyond the banana being a simple, tasty fruit. In fact there are many more virtues to the banana than I once thought, and the next time I bite into one, I may think about grabbing a second.

Banana Benefits

The banana is actually an herb that grows on tall plants with huge leaves, not a fruit that grows on trees. They contain high levels of vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium, among many other minerals like magnesium. Bananas are also high in sucrose, glucose and fructose, all natural sugars that can quickly energize your body, should you be in need of a fix. Eating two bananas can actually help your body produce enough energy for a 90-minute workout, not to mention, curb your cravings for unhealthy snacks like a pack of fries or half a box of cookies.

Bananas also have an eclectic mix of benefits to your overall health and well-being. Everyone knows that bananas are a good source of fibre. The high amounts of pectin in bananas help to regulate bowel movements through the digestive tract. They also help your body to better absorb calcium. Bananas contain high levels of a prebiotic called fructooligosaccharides that help to nourish probiotics, and in turn, increase their numbers assisting absorption of nutrients in the intestinal tract. Antioxidants in bananas can also help to significantly reduce the overall risk of kidney cancers and disease if bananas are eaten regularly.

Banana Breakdown

The nutritional breakdown of a banana might surprise you since it is easy to underestimate the amount of nutrients and minerals present in them. Low in saturated fat and sodium, bananas contain high levels of magnesium, riboflavin, vitamin A and the oft-overstated potassium, which greatly helps to maintain normal blood pressure, lowering the risk of stroke. The potassium also helps decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.

Vitamin B6 contributes to your health through protein metabolism, the conversion of tryptophan (which bananas also contain to help you feel relaxed!) and helps to create haemoglobin. It also helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels, as well as aid your immune system. A high level of vitamin B6 in your system will help keep your lymphoid organs healthy, assisting with the creation of white blood cells.

Banana Recipes

The more bananas you eat, the better, so why not cook with them as well as eat them raw? These simple recipes are guaranteed to add more bananas in your diet because they are too delicious to resist (recipes courtesy of foodtv.ca).

Banana Bread

What you’ll need:

-    a few bananas, mashed
-    ¼ cup of honey
-    1 ½ tsp vanilla
-    ¼ cup white sugar
-    1 cup plain yogurt
-    2 tbsp vegetable oil
-    1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
-    2 tsp baking soda
-    ½ tsp salt
-    nutmeg to taste

Mash your bananas first, mixing in honey, vanilla, sugar, yogurt and the oil together in one bowl. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. When you’re ready, fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Lightly grease a 4x8 inch pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper, then pour in the mix. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, bake for 40 to 50 minutes, then cool for 30 minutes after. All I have to say is, who doesn’t love banana bread? My house smelled great for at least two days!

Banana Smoothie

What you’ll need:

-    2 to 3 bananas
-    ¼ cup of honey
-    ½ cup of milk
-    berries (optional)
-    a couple ice cubes

Dump everything into a blender. Simple as pie! The honey mixed with the bananas is both delicious and soothing. This recipe is supposedly also great for hangovers, though it might be a good idea to cover your ears before starting up the blender.

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the perfect fruit

It should not be hard to see that eating more fruits and vegetables can help to promote good health and when it comes to bananas it should be a no-brainer. Naturally sweet, designed to be portable, able to be baked, fried or boiled, bananas are a great nutritional source that should definitely be exploited!