Going Bananas

Today is National Banana Day!

Banana's are packed with many wonderful nutrients & provide lots of health benefits. The fiber in bananas may help regulate blood sugar & is beneficial in moderation for diabetics. They are full of antioxidants, potassium, & may be good for: heart health, satiety, insulin sensitivity, kidney health, exercise recovery, & digestive health (1).

There are some conditions and risk factors with consuming bananas (2). If you have any of these conditions you should discuss what would be appropriate for your diet with your physician and/or dietician.

• Allergies to bananas

• Beta-blockers (since they can raise potassium levels)

• Kidney disease or failure (certain stages- too much potassium is harmful

That's Bananas!

Check out these fun banana facts here. SPOILER- bananas are actually berries, AND they do not grow on a tree, actually an HERB!

Recipes:

• Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins by Damn Delicious (estimated 203 calories, 12g fat, 23g CHO, 2g protein)

• Green Smoothie with Peanut Butter and Banana (estimated by entering recipe into myfitnesspal 136 calories, 3g fat, 24g CHO, 6g protein)

• Sydney's 4 Ingredient Banana Pancakes (estimated 287 calories, 10g fat, 37g CHO, 9.1g fiber, 15.3g protein)

References:

1. Vjarnadottir, A. &Shoemaker, S. "11 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Bananas". Healthline. October 29. 2021 (update). https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-bananas

2. Ware, Megan. "Benefits and health risks of bananas". Medical News Today. January 13, 2020. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271157

3. Rhee, Chungah. "Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins". Damn Delicious. June 07, 2017. https://damndelicious.net/2017/06/07/skinny-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins/

4. Rhee, Chungah. "Green Smoothie with Peanut Butter and Banana". Damn Delicious. August 16, 2013. https://damndelicious.net/2013/08/16/green-smoothie-with-peanut-butter-and-banana/

5. Volz, Monique. "Sydney's 4 Ingredient Banana Pancakes". Ambitious Kitchen. March 11, 2021. https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/kid-friendly-banana-pancakes/