Most people have occasional cravings for specific foods. Lately, I find myself craving bananas. I put them in ice cream, cut them up in my breakfast cereal, and think about banana bread constantly. Perhaps I lack potassium or some other nutrient that bananas are rich in, but I feel deprived if I cannot eat at least one banana per day. I thought someone else might enjoy reading about the benefits of one of the world’s most popular fruits…….and some of the fun ways to incorporate them into your diet!
- Rich in Vitamin B6
- Good source of Vitamin C
- Contains Manganese, Copper, and Magnesium
- Great source of Potassium
- Good source of Antioxidants
- Contain Soluble and Insoluble Fiber and some Protein
- Source of healthy energy from 3 naturally occurring Sugars
- May improve digestion
- May support heart health and weight loss
Here are a few of the banana recipes I have enjoyed…
Whole Wheat Banana Bread
2 c Whole wheat flour
1 t Baking powder
1 t Baking soda
1/4 t Salt
1/2 c Butter (applesauce)
3/4 c Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals
1 Egg
1 1/4 c Mashed bananas (about 3)
1/4 c Plain low-fat yogurt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in egg. Add bananas and yogurt and beat.
Add flour mixture and mix just until well blended.
Turn into pan and bake below oven center for about 55 minutes.
Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out to cool on a wire rack.
Makes one loaf.
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Blueberry-Banana Sorbet
1 3/4 c blueberries
2 sliced bananas
1 T honey
1/2 t lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and
Blend until smooth.
Place in a plastic container and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Take out partially frozen fruit and stir well to break
up ice crystals. Return to freezer to completely freeze.
Let fruit sorbet stand 15 minutes at room temperature
before serving.
Banana Bars
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 2 large, ripe bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup pitted, chopped dried dates
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1/4 cup of favorite raw nuts
- Cinnamon
- Honey
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 10-12 inch baking dish with olive oil (or whole butter).
- Mash bananas in a bowl until no large pieces are left; the bananas should be total mush. Stir in vanilla, oats, dates, nuts, and salt.
- Spoon mix into the baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp….let cool….drizzle honey and cinnamon over the top and refrigerate.
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Healthy Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
– 4 ripe frozen bananas
– 1 and 1/2 cup almond milk
– 1/2 cup favorite nuts
– 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
– 2 heaping tablespoons of raw coconut oil
– sea salt to taste (aprox. 1/4 tsp for us)
Put non-frozen ingredients in a Vitamix or food processor and blend thoroughly. Then add the frozen bananas and blend until smooth. Pour the concoction into a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer until it is the desired thickness. It will freeze fairly hard if left in the freezer for more than a few hours…simply let it set out on the counter for a bit to soften before serving. Feel free to add fun toppings such as strawberries or more nuts and…Enjoy!
