Go Bananas!

I absolutely go banana for bananas. I love them as is, on whole grain toast with peanut butter, whipped into smoothies, baked into bread, frozen, grilled in the skins (they’re amazing – slice them open, top with crushed pineapple and dark chocolate chips and close them back up), or sliced and added to fruit salad, oatmeal, cold cereal, or brown rice pudding – delicious!

Somewhere along the way, bananas got an undeserved reputation for being fattening. That’s probably because they’re low in water compared to other fruits. That means there’s more carbohydrate (and therefore more calories) per bite, but they provide no fat, cholesterol, or sodium. I get around the calorie issue by buying this baby variety – they’re no longer that the length of my finger, which means they’re naturally portion controlled (and perfectly wrapped). One of these little guys provides just 50-60 calories.

And bananas are incredibly nutritious. You’ve probably heard that they provide potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Buy they’re also a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C and fiber. A mashed banana is the secret ingredient in my famous healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe (I guess it’s no secret anymore!). A combo of sunflower oil and mashed banana holds the cookies together (instead of butter or margarine and eggs). Mmmm, that sounds so good I think I’ll go make a batch right now.

But I can’t sign off without doling out today’s fun facts:
-Bananas are thought to have originated in Malaysia about 4,000 years ago
-India is the top banana producing nation
-Bananas are America’s most popular fruit - over 96% of American households purchase bananas at least once a month
-The riper a banana is, the sweeter it will taste
-In the song Hollaback Girl, Gwen Stefani spells banana (several times!)

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