You probably know by this time that we love bananas, right? They are inexpensive, easy to find and great to have as a snack, which means there is virtually no excuse to not have a few each week. Do you want to know why we’re calling them top bananas? Keep reading and you’ll find out why. 🙂
Banana contains important dietary minerals such as: potassium (important for optimum cellular function), magnesium (muscle function), and phosphorus (strong bones and teeth). When ripe they can be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown and basically all common varieties are good sources of these minerals.
In terms of cooking, it can be used in many different recipes and be used to create the following dishes (not an exhaustive list): pie, cake, bread, ice cream, tart, and smoothie. To give you an idea of its flexibility and surprising taste try the following: slice a couple of bananas vertically in half, sprinkle some ground cinnamon and put them in the oven until they become golden. Who needs a better dessert? 🙂
Babies can also immensely benefit from the fruit due to its soft and gentle consistency – it’s probably one of the very first fruits introduced by healthy-conscious moms to their children. To maximise the time you’ll be able to consume them fresh (in other words, how to keep them naturally edible for longer), store them in room temperature out of any plastic bags. When you see them turning brown, cut them into slices and put in the freezer.
Athletes (even weekend ones) can also benefit from the nutrients found in a banana. A common belief though, that it helps to prevent leg cramps, is currently known to be untrue. On the other hand, bananas are an important source of carbohydrates and fructose, which are then consumed as energy by our body muscles during an exercise session.
Note, however, that consuming a considerable quantity of bananas immediately before exercising can cause stomach pain during the physical activity. Ideally, an average person should eat two to three bananas between 30 and 45 minutes before the activity starts.
This text is a translated and expanded version from the article originally published here.