How Eating Bananas can Change your Relationship with Food and Body

Banana fear? No more!

I’d be able to buy a house (in this economy) if I got a dollar for every time a client has regretfully admitted that they eat a banana every day. Usually, the client wraps up the confession with “I know, I know, bananas aren’t healthy. They are just full of sugar.” This is my opportunity to defend the banana.  

Where Did The Banana Fear Come From?

The banana fear came initially from the 90’s low-carb diet culture and just continued from there. Remember how paleo dieters would try to defend their banana-less caveman diet by sharing pictures of prehistoric bananas? “Our ancestors weren’t eating modern bananas, so neither am I!” they would say. The ketogenic diet in the early-mid 2010s didn’t come to the banana’s aid. As a starchy (unripe) and sugary (ripe) fruit, bananas are categorically not allowed on the keto diet plan. 

Another piece of banana gossip is that the fruit is allegedly high on the glycemic index. The glycemic index or GI indicates how quickly a food spikes blood sugar compared to glucose (GI of 100). Bananas have a low GI of 42-53, depending on ripeness. Low GI is <55, medium GI is 56-69, and high GI is >70. 

This is a good opportunity to remind readers that unless you have impaired blood sugar regulation as diagnosed by your healthcare provider, you need not worry about your body’s ability to digest higher GI foods. Trust your pancreas to do its job. 

What Bananas Do For You

First reason: Bananas have calories, and thank Mother Earth that they do. Calories are the energy that keeps us alive. Bananas are mostly made of water, carbohydrate, and vitamins & minerals. Our brain and blood cells thrive on carbohydrates. Our gut health depends on carbohydrates.  

Next: When advising clients how to heal from a bout of digestive hell, I recommend eating at least one banana a day. Bananas naturally contain prebiotic fiber. This means that the fiber found in bananas is 1. Soluble (absorbs water), 2. Fermentable, and 3. Digestible by bacteria (probiotics) found in our gut. Prebiotic fiber is like fertilizer for probiotics, and these probiotics play a big role in our immune system, digestive health, and even mental health. 

A big BUT: Raw, green, unripe, not-sweet bananas provide the most prebiotic benefit. Though, for the purpose of soothing your digestive system from a bout of food poisoning (or a day-drinking bachelorette weekend), a ripe banana is going to be a more calming choice than a green salad. Even if you aren’t experiencing digestive distress, bananas are still a helpful choice to prevent illness and indigestion.  

Can Bananas Heal Your Gut & Brain?

My professional specialty is nutrition counseling for disordered eating recovery. Helping my clients feel positive feedback from their bodies through eating is crucial. I trust a client that says “Every time I eat I feel bloated and horrible.” I respond with “Well let’s fix that!” because chaotic indigestion provides negative feedback from eating.  Positive feedback from an eating experience comes from untroubled digestion. This positive feedback can evolve into a peaceful relationship with food and body. In this circumstance, bananas eaten regularly can add to calm digestion while also helping craft a relationship with a food that’s not solely dependent on how many calories it provides. 

Bananas are also delicious. Don’t agree? Garlic, onions, leeks, and jerusalem artichokes are also working just as hard as bananas. There are no magic foods. Talk to a registered dietitian for more individualized and well-rounded recommendations. 

Ways to not let that bunch of bananas go to waste

• Fancy a green banana? Try slicing and cooking like a root vegetable. Unripe raw bananas have a starchy mouth feel to them, similar to raw potatoes. Yes, cooking a green banana will slightly lessen its gut health potential. However, we don’t eat food solely for fuel or gut health. We also eat for pleasure. Try adding a sliced green banana to your roasted veggie medley or deep frying. 

• An in-between green and yellow banana is great for eating raw, pan-fried with a bit of sweetness (sugar or honey), or sliced raw on peanut butter toast drizzled with honey.

• Perfectly ripe or slightly spotted bananas are excellent for eating raw, fruit smoothies, sliced and added to cold cereal or oatmeal, or for desserts (banana cream pie, banana split, banana foster). Also can freeze at this point.

• Very spotted or brown bananas are best used for banana bread or banana pancakes/waffles. Or toss it in the freezer.

How to freeze bananas

Option 1: Toss a banana (in the peel) in the freezer.

Option 2: Half the bananas in the peel, place in a freezer bag, and toss in the freezer

Option 3: Peel and slice bananas, lay in one layer on parchment paper on a sheet pan, and freeze bananas on a sheet pan in the freezer. After they are frozen, store them in a freezer bag and place them back in the freezer. Note: This option might be difficult if using very spotted or brown bananas due to mushiness.

How to use frozen bananas

Options 1 & 2: Pull the banana out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to slightly thaw. If starting with a whole banana, halve it with a knife. Then, slice lengthwise in half. The peel should come off pretty smoothly. Slightly spotted bananas: Use for smoothies or oatmeal. Very spotted or brown bananas can be used for banana bread or  pancakes/waffles. 

Option 3: Choose as many banana slices as you need from your freezer bag and add to your blender for smoothies or toss in oatmeal.