Posted by Willow Jarosh on Mon, Nov 30, 2009
Here's a scenario that plays out in my kitchen on a weekly basis: I hit the grocery store on the weekend and choose a small bunch of bananas, preferably ones that are still a bit green, as I like my bananas a slightly on the less ripe side. For a day or two, I enjoy them on my cereal or in my favorite snack (half a banana spread with chunky almond butter) and I'm in banana heaven.
Then, suddenly, I look at my banana bunch and realize that they are starting to become very soft and taking on more and more dark spots. In other words, come Thursday of every week I have at least two very ripe bananas on my hands. Instead of throwing out over-ripe bananas (I don't like to waste food!), I've discovered some uses for them—in fact, now I actually look forward to my mushy bananas at the end of the week because I know I will soon be making tasty meals and snacks out of them. How exactly do I use them? Try a few of these ideas:
1. Cut bananas into chunks and freeze to use in smoothies.
2. Mash bananas and make reduced-fat whole-wheat banana walnut muffins.
3. Mash bananas and make whole-wheat banana flax bread.
4. Sandwich mashed banana between two slices of whole-grain bread to make stuffed French toast.
5. Puree bananas and stir into oatmeal or plain yogurt.
6. Sauté bananas with cinnamon and use as a topping for a whole-wheat frozen waffle.
For more great healthy-eating advice, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Thu, Oct 15, 2009
My clients often ask me about nutrition myths that they've heard, and there's one that comes up over and over again: "Aren't bananas fattening?" Absolutely not! Bananas are fat-free. At about 105 calories per medium banana, they're slightly higher in calories than other fruits. But to put it into perspective, you'd have to eat four medium bananas to get the same amount of calories found in a low-fat blueberry muffin from Dunkin' Donuts or a regular-sized bagel with cream cheese. And believe me, you'll feel fuller with the four bananas than a blueberry muffin or bagel!
Plus, bananas are filled with important nutrients like fiber (3 grams), potassium (422 mg), magnesium (32 mg) and B6 (0.4 mg). And because bananas are low in sodium and high in potassium and magnesium, it makes them a perfect food to help regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke too.
And I love that they're so versatile. They make a great portable snack or addition to a meal. For instance, add sliced banana to hot or cold cereal, to a smoothie, to whole-wheat pancake mix, or to low-fat yogurt. (A quick tip: If you don't want your bananas to turn mushy before you're ready to eat them, peel them, cut into quarters, and freeze for a yummy frozen sweet treat.)
So where did this fat myth come from? Like any fruit, bananas contain natural fruit sugar (called fructose). And aside from being a little more caloric than other fruits, they're also slightly higher in total carbohydrates. That means that people who need to be conscious of sugar and count carbohydrates, such as those with diabetes, have to account for these carbohydrates and make sure that they don't get too many.
The bottom line is that if you take in more calories than are appropriate for your body and exercise level, you will gain weight—no matter what food they come from. Bananas can and should be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
For more straight talk on food and weight loss, check out TheBestLife.com.