The banana plant grows in California, Florida, Hawaii and tropical climates worldwide. The banana is an important part of the daily diet of millions people worldwide and one of the most frequently consumed fruits in the U.S. This nutritional gem has its own celebration, National Banana Split Day, named for the decadent banana dessert invented in Pennsylvania. Without the ice cream and the cherry, the banana is a healthy, low-calorie food.
Types
The banana family has several subgroups and numerous variations. The yellow bananas that you often see in U.S. groceries belong to the Cavendish subgroup or Musa acuminata Colla, according to Whole Health MD website. With the proximity of the U.S. to tropical growing regions, the plantain or plantanos, a large, starchy banana, appears regularly in produce sections. The small manzano or finger-banana is less than 4 inches long, but it is also becoming popular in the U.S.
Calories
The U.S. Department of Agriculture categorizes bananas by size to estimate the calorie and nutrient content. A small banana that measures 6 inches to 6 7/8 inches has 90 calories. Since the banana's length can be more than 6 inches, but less than 7 inches, the estimated caloric content is an average. For recipes that use banana slices, this size banana yields 12 ½-inch slices. Each ½-inch slice contains 7.5 calories.
Carbohydrates
A 1/2 inch slice of an average small banana has 2 g of carbohydrates, of which 1 g is sugar. The total starch equals .45 g. The carbohydrate content puts bananas in the high end on the glycemic index. The glycemic index numbers for food tell you how quickly your body will convert the item to glucose during digestion. Boston University states that on a scale of 100, bananas fall in the 70 to 80 range.
Vitamins and Mineral
A whole small banana does not contain 10 percent of the daily value of any essential vitamin or mineral, but it is still a valuable addition to your daily diet. One slice of a small banana provides 30 mg of potassium, less than 10 percent of the recommended daily value in a 2,000-calorie diet. The phosphorus content is 1.8 mg per ½-inch slice, an insignificant percent of the 1 g daily value. A slice provides 5.4 mg of vitamin A and 1.6 mg of folate.
Storage
Keep ripe bananas at room temperature for up to two days. They will continue to ripen and get sweeter. Once you refrigerate a banana, the cold interrupts the ripening process. No further ripening occurs, even if you return the banana to room temperature. Freeze overripe bananas to use in smoothies and recipes that require cooked bananas. They will not have the same texture as a raw banana.
Member Comments