Bananas are a familiar fruit, rich in nutrients, easy to buy and easy to eat. The health benefits of ripe bananas will surprise you.
This fruit is rich in potassium, minerals, vitamins... helping the body perform important functions.
A medium banana contains 105 calories, 27 grams of starch, 3 grams of fiber and up to 422 mg of potassium. Eating this fruit every day helps beautify the skin, aids digestion, helps with weight loss, is good for the heart, provides energy, and enhances memory...
A study published in the journal PLoS One compared a banana to a carbohydrate-containing sports drink for long-distance cyclists. The results showed that the banana provided as much energy and endurance as the sports drink.
Eating bananas before and during intense workouts will provide energy and improve workout performance.
It is worth noting that bananas contain only about 105 calories and consist almost entirely of water and carbohydrates. Based on the above data, it can be seen that the amount of protein in bananas is very low and almost fat-free, making this fruit a choice for dieters.
The fiber in bananas helps clean the intestines and prevent many digestive problems.
Blood sugar control
One of the most notable benefits of bananas is that they help control blood sugar. This fruit is rich in pectin, a type of fiber that has a spongy structure. Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, which acts like soluble fiber and is not digested.
Both pectin and resistant starch can reduce blood sugar levels after meals. At the same time, eating bananas helps reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying.
Furthermore, bananas also rank low to medium on the glycemic index (GI).
Improve digestive system
Bananas are a great source of fiber. An average banana has about 3 grams of fiber. Bananas contain two main types of fiber:
The fiber in bananas helps clean the intestines and prevent many digestive problems.
Bananas also have the ability to support the treatment of stomach pain and gastroesophageal reflux. The reason is that when digested, bananas stimulate mucus secretion, regenerate mucosa, and help ulcers heal quickly.
Support heart health
Potassium is a mineral that is essential for heart health. Especially in controlling blood pressure. Although it is an important nutrient, few people pay attention to getting enough potassium in their diet.
Bananas are a great source of potassium. A 4-ounce banana contains 9% of the RDI. Diets rich in potassium help lower blood pressure. Bananas also contain a good amount of magnesium, which is important for heart health.
In addition to eating directly, bananas are also used to prepare many delicious dishes for main meals and desserts.
How to make delicious dishes from bananas
Banana ice cream
Ingredient
- 5 bananas, 250ml fresh milk, 200ml coconut milk, 75g condensed milk, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 50ml fresh milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 100ml yogurt, shredded coconut, roasted peanuts.
Making
- Cook all the above ingredients (except yogurt) until thick. Let cool and add yogurt.
- Arrange the layers in the box in order: peanuts, shredded coconut, sliced banana, coconut milk mixture... repeat until the box is full. Put in the freezer for 6 to 8 hours and it's ready to eat.
Steamed banana dessert
Ingredient
- 500g ripe banana, 400ml water, 400ml coconut milk, 50g tapioca flour, 50g potato starch, 120g sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 pandan leaves, roasted peanuts.
Making
- Wash and soak potato starch and tapioca starch in 2 hours (soak in warm water to expand quickly).
- Slice bananas, marinate with a little salt and 1 teaspoon sugar for 15 minutes.
- Boil 400ml of water with pandan leaves, add coconut milk, banana, sugar and cook for 5 minutes. When the banana is 70% ripe, add the drained tapioca starch and tapioca pearls. Cook for another 10 minutes then turn off the heat.
- Roast peanuts until golden brown, crush, sprinkle on bowl and enjoy. You can add roasted sesame seeds if you like.
Grilled sticky rice banana dessert
Ingredient
- Bananas: 6 bananas, 1 teaspoon salt, 30g sugar mixed with bananas and banana leaves.
- Sticky rice: 250g sticky rice, 150ml coconut milk, 100ml boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, small bunch of pandan leaves.
- Coconut milk: 100ml coconut milk, 50ml cold water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, small bunch of pandan leaves, 10g sugar, 1 teaspoon tapioca starch, 30g tapioca flour.
Making
- Wash and soak tapioca pearls in warm water for 3 to 4 hours. Soak glutinous rice for 3 to 4 hours, put in rice cooker with boiling water, coconut milk, salt, pandan leaves. Remove cooked glutinous rice immediately. Peel bananas, rinse with salt water, marinate with sugar for 2 hours.
- Spread sticky rice around the banana. Wrap the banana leaves tightly around both ends and around the body. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes (adjust according to the heat of your oven), turn the bananas until golden brown. You can also use an oven or an air fryer.
- Coconut milk: mix all ingredients (except tapioca starch), boil on stove for 10 minutes. Mix tapioca starch with 1 tablespoon cold water, slowly add to boiling coconut milk until desired consistency is reached. Add tapioca starch, boil for 2 more minutes then turn off stove.
- Cut sticky banana, pour coconut milk and enjoy.
Fried bananas
Ingredient
- 200g rice flour, 60g tapioca starch, 8g baking powder, 80g sugar, 2g salt, 2g turmeric powder, 240ml warm water about 30 degrees Celsius.
Making
- Mix flour with water, mix well. Let dough rest while cutting banana.
- Cut bananas in half (you can squeeze them or not, depending on your preference). Roll the bananas in flour, drop them into a hot pan of oil, over medium heat, and deep fry. When the bananas are golden brown, take them out, dip them in flour a second time, and fry them evenly in the oil. Take out the golden bananas, drain, and enjoy.
- Frying tip: Line the bottom of the pan with wax paper if the pan does not have a good non-stick coating to prevent sticking.
Grilled bananas
Ingredient
- Ripe banana, coconut milk, tapioca starch, sugar, salt, chopped green onions.
Making
- Cut the banana in half lengthwise, put it in the oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, bake for 5 minutes then turn it over (if you have a charcoal grill, it will be even better). Then take the banana out and cut it into pieces.
- Cook coconut milk with salt, sugar, and tapioca starch to taste, add green onions after turning off the stove. Ripe bananas are quite sweet, so be careful to make the coconut milk bland.
- Pour coconut milk into bananas and enjoy.
Banana Smash
Ingredient
- 60% ripe bananas (still a bit green and astringent to be crushed), coconut milk, tapioca starch, sugar, salt, chopped green onions.
Making
- Cut the banana in half lengthwise, put it in the oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, remember to turn the banana while baking (if you have a charcoal grill, it will be even better). After baking, take it out, wrap it in paper, and smash it thinly.
- Cook coconut milk with salt, sugar, and tapioca starch to taste. Turn off the stove, add chopped green onions. Finally, take out the bananas and dip them in coconut milk.
Banana cereal
Ingredient
- 2 ripe bananas, 300ml fresh milk, 1 jar of yogurt, cereal seeds (use whatever seeds you have at home), purple sweet potatoes for decoration.
Making
- Put banana, fresh milk, yogurt into the blender for 5 seconds. Pour the mixture into a bowl or deep plate, leaving a little banana mixture in the blender, add the purple sweet potato pieces, press and blend for another 5 seconds to get a beautiful purple color.
- Pour into a bowl, decorate with sliced bananas, cereal grains, and purple sweet potatoes.
Banana milk
Ingredient
- 2 ripe bananas, 300ml fresh milk, 1 jar of yogurt.
Making
- Put everything in the blender for 5 seconds. Pour into a cup and enjoy.
Banana Cake
Ingredient
- 8 bananas (6 for baking, 2 for decoration)
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 120g cornstarch
- 3 eggs
- 120g melted butter
- 5g cocoa powder or milo
- 12g baking powder
- 5g baking soda
- 80g sugar
- 70g fresh milk
- Sliced almonds, cashews, grapes (to decorate the cake if desired)
Making
- Mash 6 bananas. Mix the ingredients and stir well, in order from sugar, butter, eggs, flours and finally milk (to adjust the thickness of the dough)
- Mix the ingredients well, do not mix for too long or the dough will become tough.
- Brush butter around the mold, pour the mixture into the mold (any mold is fine), then cut the remaining banana and place it on top of the cake, add white sesame and almonds if you like.
* Bake (in oven)
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees for 10 minutes. Bake the cake for the first time at 150 degrees for 50 minutes.
- Bake a second time at 220 degrees for 10 minutes. Leave the cake for about 2-3 minutes then remove from the oven.
The above recipe makes 4 cakes. If making less, reduce the ingredients.
Wish you success in preparing delicious dishes from this fruit!
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