Health & Wellness

banana

A favorite white fruit, bananas contain 11%RDI of potassium, are a source of vitamin B6, and provide 1.6 grams of dietary fiber.

Preparation Tips

To ripen green bananas, put them into a plastic bag, seal it and place the bag in a warm place like on top of your refrigerator. This will cause the bananas to heat up which speeds the ripening process. You can also put other green fruit like peaches and pears into the bag with a ripe banana, and they will ripen faster as well!

You can freeze bananas! Just peel and store in plastic bags up to 6 months.

Thaw and drain frozen extra-ripe bananas and use in baked goods... or slice frozen into blender drinks. Have for breakfast, snack, refreshment or as a frosty ice cream-like dessert without all the extra fat or calories.

Sauté green-tipped bananas until brown in just enough margarine or cooking spray to coat. Serve as a side dish or "starch" with chicken, pork or even fish.

Trivia

Bananas don't grow on trees, as is commonly believed. They grow on compacted, water-filled leaf stalks that grow up to 25 feet high. They are the world's largest herb. (Source: The Packer, 9/9/89)

Alexander the Great discovered bananas in his conquest of India in 327 B.C.

As the green color of bananas turns to yellow, the starch in the fruit turns to sugar.