15 Fun Facts for Friday: Bananas

We all know and love bananas...right?  Well, most of us do.  In an attempt to make a quick, but interesting post, I wanted to share this list of 15 Facts You Probaly Didn't Know About Bananas.  Have a look; that's scary to think a fungus could wipe out the whole banana population.

Imagine, a world without bananas.....

No peanut butter and banana sandwiches or wraps. : (
No mashed banana to make Low-fat Peanut Butter Bread. : (
No cool and creamy easy banana ice cream. : (
No chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies. : O
And the list can go on and on...


I enjoy bananas, and from the other bloggers I read out there, you like them too.  Here's a post I made a while back on banana benefits and how to enjoy them. Sometimes, I just unwrap a banana, mash several dry roasted almonds inside, and then proceed to eat.  I'll do this when there's no peanut butter around or when I want a sweet, salty, and crunchy treat.

Q: How do you enjoy using bananas?  If you don't like them, is it allergies or just plain repulsed by the green/yellow/black-spotted yellow fruit?

Low-Fat Peanut Butter Banana Bread...No Need for Sandwiches

If I could only have one sandwich the rest of my life, it would be a peanut butter and banana sandwich. This sandwich would provide instant comfort like it’s a dessert, but be nutritious enough for a quick and healthy meal. If I could, I’d make it crunchy peanut butter because, well, I love the added crunch!

Hmmmm, maybe some cinnamon too…..yes, cinnamon would be awesome!

This works for me!



But what if we had bread with peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon baked into it? Then, instead of making a mess by having to arduously smear your own peanut butter and add your own banana on bread, you can easily just grab and eat a slice……or two or three…..ok, the loaf.

No dealing with peanut butter jars or any banana that’s leftover, just the bread with all of its parts baked in. Sure, I sound lazy, but this would certainly save time since I usually peel, slice, chop, and dice multiple foods while cooking. Plus, I’d spend more time with Kelley, the number one person in my life and reason I work to make healthy food for us.

I’d like to thank Katie for posting a similar recipe on her blog, Chocolate-Covered Katie, for the inspiration to make this fabulous peanut butter banana bread. There are so many amazing recipes I want to make from her blog; it’s hard to keep up!

Make this bread to grab and go or sit down at home without having to add anything else that could result in a mess. I made the recipe low fat by using peanut flour (I use 12% Light Peanut Flour from Byrd Mill) which supplies an awesome peanut butter taste with less fat. Avoid the jars of low fat peanut butter, those usually have more ingredients than just peanuts and always have added sugar……bleh. Have a few slices of this easy bread and know its all good in taste and in health.

No-Mess Low-Fat Peanut Butter Banana Bread

1 cup whole grain spelt, whole-wheat, or brown rice flour (I used whole grain spelt)

1 cup unflavored or vanilla protein powder (I used whey, but other types would work)

1/2 cup peanut flour (or another nut flour of choice)

2 tbsp natural peanut butter (or other nut butter of choice); make sure it’s creamy enough to mix

1/4 cup mashed banana (applesauce or pumpkin puree would be good, but you’ll have to change the name)

1/4 tsp liquid stevia extract (or use 1/4 cup sugar/honey/agave if you don’t have or like stevia, but beware of extra calories)

2 - 4 packets of stevia powder (I used NuNaturals White Stevia; use more for a sweeter bread and less for not as sweet...duh)

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 ½ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk of choice (reduce by 1/4 cup if using honey or agave)

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients to combine well, and then mix in the wet. Pour into a lightly oiled or non-stick loaf pan (a muffin pan would be great too!) and bake 40-45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes. If you made a loaf, slice as thin or thick as you want; for muffins, just remove from pan.

I haven’t made them yet, but muffins would be perfect as a portable breakfast or snack when travelling.

Of course, you can always add more peanut butter if desired…..I just couldn’t resist!

Q: What would be your sandwich of choice if you could only have one the rest of your life?

Something savory like this...

.....or maybe a delicious PB & Banana Chocolate Protein Pancake Sandwich?

Yes, this is my choice!

That's Bananas!!!!

Curved yellow fruit, aka bananas, are good and good for you.  Bananas offer the ability to please people that have different tastes.  Some may just them firm with a hint of green for easy slicing over cereal or as a healthy grab and go option.  Others may enjoy the softer, spotty kinds with a higher sugar content.  Then others may only want them super soft and mostly brown skin to mash and use in baking.  Of course, a person could enjoy all of these options as they are all superb choices.  Try buying bananas at different stages of ripeness to enjoy the variety of ways to use these "curved yellow fruit."
Bananas
If you've been led to believe bananas are just unhealthy sugar torpedos, check out this list of 10 reasons to think otherwise (info obtained from this site):

1. Ulcers: Bananas are one of the few foods ulcer patients can eat without suffering setbacks and pain. Bananas lower the levels of acid in gastric juices in the stomach, and build a protective coating inside the stomach.

2. Minor burns: Yes, bananas can provide pain relief from minor burns and other wounds. The best way to accomplish this is to mash up the inside of a banana, then wrap it in a cloth or paper towel and place it on the burnt area. Pain relief should follow shortly thereafter.

3. Acne: The potassium in bananas suffocates bacteria and clears pores. Make a mask by mashing a banana, apply to affected areas, and allow it to dry for 20 minutes.

4. Anemia: The high amount iron in bananas helps stimulate the growth of hemoglobin in the body, which can help with anemia.

5. Blood pressure: The potassium in bananas helps to combat sodium, which is a big no-no for those with heart conditions and high blood pressure.

6. PMS: The high levels of vitamin B6 in bananas help to regulate blood glucose levels, which affects the moods and pains of women suffering PMS. – Men, feed your significant others a banana to maintain happiness!!

7. Cramping: All the potassium in bananas is good for cramping, allowing the body’s muscles to more freely contract and expand. This is especially important for the athletes.

8. Constipation: Bananas are a natural, light laxative, allowing the body to deal with constipation without turning to diarrhea. The fiber provided by bananas is the reason for this….obviously.

9. Depression: Believe it or not, bananas are great for lifting ones mood. Bananas contain tryptophan, a mood leveling protein also found in turkey. And like chocolate, bananas contain norepinephrine and serotonin, which can help one relax. Also, the vitamin B in bananas helps to calm the nervous system.

10. Smoking: The combination of vitamins A1, C, B6 and B12 in bananas, along with potassium, helps those who are trying to quit smoking from nicotine withdrawal.

So, now you have some good reasons to incorporate bananas in your diet. Don't feel like just peeling and eating a banana by itself every day?  You're not alone!  I demand excitement from my food and always look for new and interesting ways it can be used. 
 
Here are a few ideas for more variety:

• Use ripe bananas (soft with a lot of brown spots), to make a healthy banana bread or muffins.  Allrecipes.com has a lot of different recipes, I like the ones that use yogurt, applesauce and mashed bananas in place of the usual oil....here's a good one to follow.
• Peel and place in freezer for few hours.  Once frozen, you can blend bananas with a little milk to make a quick, healthy, banana ice cream.  Try adding some peanut butter or other nuts when blending for some great crunch and flavor.
• You can also put a popsicle stick into a half banana, wrap in plastic, and freeze for a quick banana-pop.  Dip in chocolate and roll in crushed cereal or nuts for a special treat for both kids and adults.



Be creative, I used homemade chocolate protein pancakes
for my sandwich!

• Make a peanut (or other nut) butter, banana, and honey sandwich or wrap.  Just slice a firm banana and place with nut butter between whole wheat bread or whole wheat wrap; add honey to taste.  If you have a soft, ripe banana, mash it and use it as a spread on the sandwich.  Try tossing whole or crushed nuts for a crunchy sandwich.  Combining the healthy fats and protein from PB with the high quality carbs from bananas is a good option for the insulin sensitive. The reasoning is two fold; one, it tastes awesome, and two, the protein and fats help slow down the speed at which the sugars enter your body keeping insulin steady.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add a touch of butter to the pan and saute banana slices for a few minutes.  The natural sugars will carmelize and make a for a tasty treat alone, on ice cream, yogurt, or on a sandwich with peanut butter.

Don't limit yourself to just banana bread, you can use ripe, mashed bananas to replace at least half of the oil called for in many recipes which will make your creation sweeter and healthier.  Remember, you do not need to add as much sugar if using bananas.  Check out this site for 100 ways to use a banana.

It's not shown here, but a dollop of greek yogurt really helps the flavor and protein content.

With the plentiful options available to use a banana, one of my favorites is wrapping 1Tbs peanut butter, half a banana, a drizzle of honey, and some vanilla protein powder in a whole wheat wrap (I like FlatOut Bread).  Then wrapping that in foil and placing in the freezer.  Then there is a quick breakfast waiting for you when in a hurry or a nice treat any time of day.



Hope this motivates you to use bananas and have fun at the same time.  If you don't like them ripe, store in the fridge to slow the process down.  On the other hand, place in a paper bag to speed the ripening process along.