Healthy Food Database
There are many varieties, but in Australia the most common are the Cavendish - the everyday banana, the Lady Finger - which has a sweet lemony flavour and the Plantain or 'green banana' - intended for cooking only. Experts say bananas strengthen the stomach lining and form a barrier against noxious juices, stimulate cell growth and prevent damage from harsh stomach acids, for example in ulcerative conditions.
Category: Fruit
In Season:
all year
To Buy:
Bananas mature off the plant, so choosing green fruit is not a problem. Look for bananas free of bruising and make sure the skin is not split. To eat immediately, pick fruit with a few brown spots, or buy with bright yellow skin and green tips to eat in a few days.
To Store:
Store at room temperature until ripe. To extend shelf life, ripe fruit can be wrapped in a few layers of newspaper and refrigerated. The skin may turn dark but the banana flesh should stay fresh and firm.
Tips & Tricks:
To ripen quickly, place unripe bananas in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana or an apple.
Try eating a banana as a late night snack before bed, as the magnesium and melatonin levels encourage sleep. Bananas produce the natural gas ethylene, a gas which accelerates the ripening process so store bananas in a separate bowl if the rest of the fruit in your fruit bowl is already ripe.
Cooking Tips:
The banana has many uses- peel and eat, or peel and fry, bake or freeze. Eat whole, sliced or mashed. When cutting banana, use a stainless steel knife to avoid discolouration, and coat with lemon juice to prevent darkening.
Nutrition per 1 Unit:
Benefits the Following Health Conditions:*
Constipation
Insomnia
Detoxifying
Depression
Low Energy
Ulcers
High Blood Pressure
Stress
* This information is sourced by a qualified naturopath. It is non prescriptive and not intended as a cure for the condition. Recommended intake is not provided. It is no substitute for the advice and treatment of a professional practitioner.
Disclaimer:
The Food Coach provides all content as is, without warranty. The Food Coach is not responsible for errors or omissions, or consequences of improper preparation, user allergies, or any other consequence of food preparation or consumption.
Natures Best Belfield
Address: 29 Burwood Rd Belfield
Call us: 9642 5613
Drop in: Monday - Saturday
8am - 6pm
Sunday
8am - 5pm
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