Eating Healthy: Spotlight on: Bananas
- We consume about 25 pounds of bananas per person each year.
- There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas.
- Bananas don't grow on trees : trees have bark and banana plants don't have bark.
- Bananas are low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium.
- A large portion of the calories in bananas come from sugars.
Recipe: Classic Banana Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
- 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cooking spray
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Recipe: Banana Chia Pudding
- 1 ½ cups vanilla-flavored flax milk
- 1 large banana cut in chunks
- 7 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Put milk, banana, chia seeds, honey, vanilla extract, and sea salt in respective order in the blender; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until thickened, at least 2 hours. Spoon mixture into small bowls to serve.