Banana Facts - A Healthy, Low-Fat Snack

Nutrients in Bananas and How to Buy and Store Them

Mar 31, 2009

Bananas have little sodium or fat and are an excellent source of potassium. With a sweet taste and creamy texture, bananas are a delicious and healthy food choice.

Bananas are one of the most nutritious fruits available year-round. Bananas are a versatile fruit that can be cooked, baked, toasted or eaten raw, and make a nutritious addition to a variety of recipes. Mixed with other fruits in a salad or smoothie, used to top hot or cold breakfast cereals, as an ingredient in baked goods or just peeled and eaten as a snack, bananas are a healthy food choice for both kids and adults.

Banana Nutrients

Bananas make for a nutritious and healthy food choice because they are a good source of fiber, are low in sodium, cholesterol, calories, and contain almost no fat. Because bananas are loaded with potassium (422 mg per medium banana), bananas are a great post-workout snack for those who strength train or engage in cardio exercise to help replace potassium lost through sweating. Bananas are also a good source of:

Bananas provide trace amounts of calcium, zinc, copper, iron, vitamin E, and selenium. In addition, bananas also contain fructo-oligosaccharide, a resistant starch that acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics promote a healthy gut and help the body more easily absorb nutrients from food.

Although bananas are somewhat high in carbohydrates, the American Diabetes Association suggests eating bananas should not raise blood sugar levels too high and can be considered a part of a healthy diet.

Buying and Storing Bananas

Bananas should be slightly firm and bright in appearance. Avoid bananas that are bruised or do not have stems attached. Bananas that are dull or gray in appearance typically have been refrigerated and will likely not ripen, so it is best to avoid those as well. Since bananas ripen quickly at room temperature, it is best to buy bananas when they are still slightly green depending on how soon they will be needed. Ripening of green bananas can be sped up by placing them in a paper or plastic bag.

Do not store unripe bananas in the refrigerator because cold temperatures prevent bananas from ripening. However, once bananas are ripe, they can be stored in the refrigerator. Although when stored in the refrigerator, the skins of bananas will blacken, the flesh is not affected.

Bananas can also be frozen for up to two months. Either puree bananas first or remove the peel and wrap in plastic wrap before freezing. Adding lemon juice before freezing will prevent discoloration.

The George Mateljan Foundation. (n.d.) Bananas. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from WHFoods.com.

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