5 Easy Recipes With Bananas 

Bananas overflowing with many nutrients and health benefits is definitely one of the super hero fruits! Most of us do have at least one a day. But after a while you get tired of eating them. I tried variating the different kinds but sometimes it still doesn’t work. 
But as they should be an essential part of your diet, you must find a way to include it. So why don’t you try out these easy and more importantly healthy recipes that hero them! (With the added benefit of not wasting the over ripe bananas). 

1. Banana Oat Smoothie 

Ingredients 

- 1/4 cup oats 
- 1/2 cup yogurt 
- 1 banana 
- 1/2 cup milk 
- 2 teaspoons honey 
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) 

Method 

In a blender, combine oats, yogurt, banana, fat-free milk, honey, and cinnamon; blend until smooth and have it immediately. This smoothie also makes a super easy healthy breakfast! 

2. French Toast 

Ingredients 

- 1 ripe banana 
- 1 cup milk 
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 
- Bread slices cut in half 

Method 

Mash the banana in a shallow bowl using a fork. Add the milk, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix well. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat for five minutes. Dip one slice at a time in the banana-milk mixture, and place on the hot pan. Cook on each side until golden brown. 

3. Banana Muffins 

Ingredients 

- 1 cup whole-wheat flour 
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 
- 3/4 cup brown sugar 
- 2 large eggs 
- 2 ripe bananas 
- 1/3 cup milk 
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Method 

Preheat oven to 175C degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork and stir in milk and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture and mix just until combined. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. 

4. Banana Fritters 

(Yes I know they are not as healthy but they are so yummy!) 

Ingredients 

- 2 sliced ripe bananas 
- ½ cup plain flour 
- 1 tablespoon sugar 
- Salt to taste 
- Water (enough to make a thick batter) 
- Oil to fry them 

Method 

Peel and slice the ripe bananas. Make the batter by combining your flour, sugar, salt and water. Dip the sliced bananas into the batter. Heat oil in a pan and make sure the oil is be really hot, and deep fry the bananas until golden brown. Drain off the excess oil, using napkins. 

5. Banana Bread 

Ingredients 

- 2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled 
- 1/3 cup melted butter 
- 3/4 cup sugar 
- 1 egg 
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 
- Pinch of salt 
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 175°C, and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Finally mix in the flour. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

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10 Health Benefits of Eating Bananas 

For many of us bananas are a part of our daily diet. In fact for most of us it is the dessert after every meal. It is also our snack when we get hungry in between our meals. It is what we take when we visit our family and friends. Did you ever imagine that it has so many health benefits? (It kind of got me thinking as to whether monkey’s are the healthiest animals alive!) 

Bananas are among the most popular fruits on earth. Native to Southeast Asia, they are now grown in many warmer parts of the world. There are many types of bananas available, which vary in colour, size and shape. The most common type is the yellow banana, which is green when unripe. 

1. Bananas Contain Many Important Nutrients 

Each banana contains only about 105 calories, and consists almost exclusively of water and carbs. Bananas contain very little protein and almost no fat. The carbs in unripe (green) bananas consist mostly of starch but as the banana ripens, the starch turns into sugar (glucose, fructose and sucrose). Basically they are rich in fiber, antioxidants and several nutrients. 

2. Bananas Contain Nutrients That Moderate Blood Sugar Levels 

Bananas are rich in a fiber called pectin, which gives the flesh its structural form. Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, which acts like soluble fiber and escapes digestion. Both pectin and resistant starch may moderate blood sugar levels after meals, and reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying. Bananas should not cause major spikes in blood sugar levels in healthy individuals. However diabetics, should probably avoid eating lots of well-ripened bananas and monitor their blood sugars carefully when they do. 

3. Bananas Improve Digestive Health 

Dietary fiber has been linked to many health benefits, including improved digestion. A medium-sized banana contains about 3 grams of fiber, making bananas a fairly good fiber source. Bananas contain mainly two types of fiber Pectin and resistant starch. As they are fairly rich in fiber and resistant starch, it feeds the friendly gut bacteria in our intestines and help protect against colon cancer. 

4. Bananas Help With Weight Loss 

It has several features that make them a weight loss friendly food. For starters, bananas contain relatively few calories. An average banana contains just over 100 calories, yet it is also very nutritious and filling. They are also rich in fiber. Eating more fiber from fruit and vegetables has repeatedly been linked with lower body weight and weight loss. Unripe bananas also have appetite reducing effect. 

5. Bananas May Help You Feel More Full 

Resistant starch is a type of indigestible carbohydrate found in unripe bananas, which functions sort of like soluble fiber in the body. The greener the banana is, the higher the amount of resistant starch it contains. Bananas contain high amounts of resistant starch or pectin, depending on ripeness. Both may reduce appetite and help keep you full. 

6. Bananas May Support Heart Health 

Potassium is a mineral that is essential for heart health, especially blood pressure control. Bananas are a great dietary source of potassium. People who eat plenty of potassium have up to a 27% lower risk of heart disease. Furthermore, bananas contain a decent amount of magnesium, which is also important for heart health. 

7. Bananas Contain Powerful Antioxidants 

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary antioxidants, and bananas are no exception. They contain several types of potent antioxidants, including dopamine and catechins. These antioxidants have been linked to many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative diseases. However, it is a common misunderstanding that the dopamine from bananas acts as a feel-good chemical in the brain. 

8. Unripe Bananas May Improve Insulin Sensitivity 

Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for many of the world’s most serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Unripe bananas are a great source of resistant starch, and may therefore help improve insulin sensitivity. 

9. Bananas May Improve Kidney Health 

As a good dietary source of potassium, bananas may be especially beneficial for maintaining healthy kidneys. Studies have found that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease, compared to people who don’t eat bananas. 

10. Bananas Have Benefit For Exercise 

Bananas are often referred to as the perfect food for athletes, largely due to their mineral content and easily digested carbs. Eating bananas help reduce exercise-related muscle cramps and soreness. They also provide excellent nutrition before, during and after endurance exercise. Not only are bananas incredibly healthy they are also one of the most convenient snack foods around. Bananas make a great addition to your breakfast yogurt, cereal or smoothie. You can even use them instead of sugar in your baking and cooking. And they rarely contain any pesticides or pollutants, due to their thick protective peel. Bananas are incredibly easy to eat and transport. They are usually well-tolerated and easily digested, and simply have to be peeled and eaten. 

It doesn’t get much easier than that. 

By Jithendri Gomes