Who doesn’t love bananas?! They are exceptionally sweet, easy to snack on when you’re on the go, and can be used in so many different dessert recipes.
Not only do they have great flavour, but they contain numerous qualities that can improve your wellbeing:
Bananas are high in potassium – as mentioned in previous posts, potassium is an important mineral that is beneficial for muscle and bone health, water balance, and maintaining healthy electrolyte levels.
High in tryptophan – tryptophan is an important amino acid that directly contributes to boosting your mood, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.
Bananas promote probiotic growth – probiotics in the gut are needed to feed healthy gut flora, which is responsible for absorbing important nutrients your body needs, as well as calcium for bone health.
The recipes for bananas are endless! Check out some of these tasty treat ideas:
BANANA BERRY ICE CREAM:
Perfect for a dairy-free option! Peel, roughly chop and freeze 3 organic bananas for 5 hours or overnight. Once they are firm, add them to a food processor and blend with ½ C mixed berries and 2 tbsp. organic maple syrup. Blend until smooth, but thick. Spread mixture in a freezer-safe container and leave in freezer for another 1-2 hours to firm up slightly. Using an ice cream scoop, take out the amount of your choice and enjoy on a warm day!
BANANA CHOCOLATE BITES:
A great treat that will last! Melt ¼ C of dark chocolate chips until smooth. Peel and chop 2 organic bananas into small medallions. Using a fork, dip the ends of the banana pieces into the chocolate mixtures (coat them as much as you’d like!) and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Put in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until chocolate has firmed up. Enjoy cold.
CINNAMON AND BANANA PANCAKES:
In a bowl, peel and mash 3 overripe organic bananas. Mix well with 1 organic egg, ¼ C milk of your choice, and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, mix together ¾ C oat flour, 1 tbsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ C organic maple sugar, a pinch of salt, and add to the wet mixture. If too dense, add more milk if necessary. Stir in crumbled organic walnuts, and add heaping spoonfuls to a pan coated with butter on medium heat. Cook until bubbles start to form, and flip over for another 1-2 minutes. Serve warm with sliced bananas and maple syrup!
ALMOND BUTTER AND BANANA SMOOTHIE
In a blender, add 1 organic banana (peeled), 1 tbsp. almond butter, ½ tbsp. cinnamon, ½ C spinach, 1 C almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder (optional), 1 tbsp. dark chocolate chips, 1 tsp. maca powder, and blend well.
