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At about 110 calories per medium banana (126g), bananas are a Superfood for your heart, providing an excellent source of vitamin B6 and a good source of potassium, fiber and vitamin C - nutrients that help promote heart health. Banana consumption has also been linked to lower risk of leukemia, colorectal and kidney cancer. In fact, a study published in Nutrition and Cancer found that those who consumed bananas three or more times per week had a 72% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who consumed them less than one time per week. Bananas also contain resistant starch and prebiotic fiber, two compounds that can aid in weight loss and may contribute to the success of the Morning Banana Diet. “Resistant starch” increases fat metabolism. Regular consumption of prebiotic fiber, found in bananas, helps avoid unhealthy weight gain. Children who eat just one banana a day have a 34% less chance of developing asthmatic symptoms, according to new British research. In fact, bananas have health benefits for every stage in your life, such as reducing abdominal pain in children and lowering blood pressure in adults.
To learn more about the benefits of bananas throughout every stage of life, click here.
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Remove bananas from plastic produce bag and store at room temperature. The warmer it is, the faster the bananas will ripen. To slow ripening, refrigerate (peel will turn black but the fruit inside will be fresh and ripe). Bananas can be frozen once the banana is peeled and stored in a freezer bag until ready to use (use a bit of fresh lemon juice to reduce browning).If bananas are too green, place them in a brown paper bag, in a warm dry area (but not in direct sunlight) for a day or two to encourage ripening. If there is still not enough yellow appearing on the peel, place a ripe apple in the bag with the bananas.
If using bananas in salads, to prevent pieces from browning, toss them in pineapple juice before adding. The pineapple juice acts as an ascorbic acid color keeper.
Choose bananas according to the peel color and ripeness desired. Select full-yellow bananas for salads or immediate eating. Use fully ripe bananas, with speckles on the peel for baking, smoothies or recipes that specify mashed bananas.