Banana
Banana’s are a super popular tropical fruit, they are extremely nutritious and are packed full of health benefiting vitamins and minerals
Banana’s are arguably the worlds most popular tropical fruit (although they are technically berries). They originate from Southeast Asia and the South Pacific but are now grown in other tropical areas like Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
They begin life green and turn yellow as they ripen. Unripe bananas are green or are yellow with a green tinge. They are hard and tend not to be very nice to eat.
Perfectly ripe bananas have a vibrant yellow peel and a soft, pale yellow inside. They may also have small brown spots on the peel. These are best eaten straight away.
Overripe bananas have a brown colour and are super soft. They are not the best for eating but don’t throw them away just yet! You can still use them in cakes, cookies, muffins, ice cream and many other desserts!
Banana uses
- Banana bread or banana loaf is the best way to uses up overripe bananas. It’s probably the easiest cake recipe out there!
- Bananas are a common addition to smoothies and fruit drinks because they blend well and they don’t have an overpowering flavour.
- It’s no secret that bananas and ice cream go well together. Banana splits and milkshakes are great banana-ice cream combos.
- Sliced banana is a wonderful and healthy topping for packages, waffles, yogurt and other breakfast foods.
- Another good option for overripe bananas is to make them into fritters! They are a quick, east and are a nice dessert or a sweet breakfast option.
The Banana Plant
Contrary to popular belief bananas grow on plants, not trees. They are often mistaken for trees as they grow tall an have a thick, trunk-like stem.
Banana leaves have many different things because they are large, flexible, and waterproof. They are used for cooking and serving food in many tropical and subtropical cultures.
Banna Nutritional Infomation
Bananas are extremely nutritious and are packed full of health benefiting vitamins and minerals. They are rich in potassium, riboflavin, niacin and fibre.
Bananas contain good amounts of fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, copper and potassium.
There are about 89 calories per 100g of banana, which is mostly made up of carbohydrates. It may be surprising to most but bananas actually have a low glycemic index! bananas have a GI of only 51 which means they do not cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
Recipe suggestions: Sunshine smoothie, Banana bread
