Did you know there’s little tweaks we can make which can change the nutritional composition of some our foods?
Now there’s many different types of dietary fibre and it’s recommended that we consume at least 30g daily through a variety of plant foods. Unfortunately the general amount being eaten in the UK is far below this RDI, averaging at about 15-17g.
So what’s the deal with green bananas?
The greener the banana the more resistant starch it contains; RS is a type of PREbiotic fibre that our friendly bacteria (probiotics) THRIVE on, replicating beneficial strains for a robust gut microbiota, which can further positively impact our immune, hormonal and neurological health. Think of prebiotic foods as like the ‘soil’ for the probiotic foods ‘seeds’ to flourish and grow. A good example of pairing the two nutritionally, could be consuming an under-ripe (green) banana with ‘live’ cultured yoghurt.
Green bananas are also a great source of pectin. This type of dietary fibre is found in a wide variety of fruits, helping keep their structural form. Pectin breaks down when a banana becomes overripe, which causes the fruit to become more soft and squishy.
The fructose concentration will consequently be lower in green bananas (bananas also lose resistant starch as they ripen, and the riper the banana, the higher content of simple sugars), making green bananas less sweet and slightly more bitter – but still delicious!
Various studies have researched the impact of resistant starches on the prevention and control of chronic human diseases, including diabetes, colon cancer, and obesity; this may be in part due to the positive effects that metabolites from fibre ingestion have, i.e. the production of short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, acetate, propionate).
You can pre chop and freeze bananas when they’re green to add to smoothies or even make your own ice cream! Give these recipes below a try and let me know your verdict?
Recipes: Chocolate Banana Ice Cream:
3 pre-chopped frozen green bananas
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 heaped tbsp bio-live yoghurt
Pinch salt
3 tbsp cocoa powder
Nutty-Butter Banana Ice Cream:
3 pre-chopped frozen green bananas
1 heaped tbsp bio-live yoghurt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp nut butter of choice/tahini
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Research/further reading
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24228189/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11427691
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22797568