The calories in a banana are nature’s energy food that will make you stronger
When I decided I wanted to highlight some of my favorite power foods, I really had to start thinking and making a list, as there are so many of them. After considering it, I thought where better to start than with a fruit that promotes strength and well-being, the banana! So there you go, this article is dedicated to one of my favorite fruits, bananas!
Go ahead and plug the numbers into your food calorie calculator and it will tell you that the average size of a peeled banana weighs around 170 calories. But that’s not the most exciting thing about the banana. These guys are HEART HEALTHY food. Think about it, what is one of the first solid foods a mother offers her baby? If you were on a game show and you had said mashed bananas, you would have gotten the best answer. They are fat free, cholesterol free AND sodium free to boot! A HIGH ENERGY vitamin packed food source that contains 3 natural sugars and is also high in Vitamin C.
However, here’s why I like them. Bananas are rich in potassium, which is a mineral that promotes the building of strong muscles. Speaking of potassium, here’s a little trick. Have you ever had an eye that twitches involuntarily? Usually this happens due to a lack of potassium. When this happens, have a banana as a snack. That should get your body back to normal and get rid of that annoying twitch. There is also a study that claims that bananas can decrease the chance of a stroke. Now, if a banana isn’t a power food, then I don’t know what is!
Bananas are amazing. I love putting them on top of my cereal in the morning. I absolutely LOVE banana splits, and they come in natural packaging that allows you to throw them in your pocket and take them with you wherever you go. A while back I was watching one of those cooking shows where chefs duel over a common “uncommon” ingredient and decided to start cooking more with bananas. I now have a ton of great banana recipes in my cookbook, but one of my favorites is uncooked and tastes delicious. It’s the “Banana Coffee Smoothie” and they’re great in the morning to get me up before work.
However, that’s not all you can do in the kitchen with a banana. My wife makes a variety of frozen yogurts and her mango banana flavor is to die for. From banana pudding to the seemingly endless variations on banana bread, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the calories in a banana. I recently started to take an interest in South American cuisine. They use so many different tropical ingredients found in the different regions of South America and sure enough, the plantain has made its way into South American cuisine. However, the Brazilian braised chicken and plantains take the cake. This dish is an explosion of flavors that hits your palette like a Mack truck.
Due to their amazing health benefits, bananas are a fruit that should be in every household’s fruit basket. From amazing recipes to a quick and easy snack for the race, the calories in a banana will not only make you stronger, they will lift your spirits and carry you through the rest of the day, making them one of the most powerful of nature.