BANANA
September 10th, 2011 → 1:15 am @ Shanti
“Vitamins and minerals in fresh food”
BANANAS
Bananas are a very good food for instant energy and you see athletes use them when they exert themselves. For small children, bananas are a good food as they are absorbed instantly. Even babies, given mashed banana, do well on them, in small quantities.
Vitamins: C and B6 are in good supply.
Minerals, such as Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese and Copper are also high. Rich in anti-oxidants, so bananas therefore should be consumed regularly, like the apples and apricots to boost the immune system.
Bananas are available for most of the year, but eat them when they are in season. The fact that fruit is on the shelves at the greengrocer, does not mean they are in season. Watch that! The fresher they are, the better and tastier. They should be rich yellow in colour and soft-ish. The skins should come off the fruit easily. They should !have a rich banana smell. If the skin comes off with a tearing sound, the banana is not really ripe.
Bananas can be used in cooking, especially some varieties, which are not common at the western markets. In Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands, there are a large variety of bananas. Banana cakes, smoothies etc., are so yam!
Be aware of banana chips, as some of them are deep-fried in oil and I would not eat them, even though they taste nice. Not all things nice are good for you!
Enjoy bananas often.
