Bananas are a busy, health conscious mum’s best friend. They have endless benefits and are so easy to prepare – rip them off the bunch and peel, done. Not only do they have weight loss benefits for our The Slimming Clinic slimmers but they are a fabulous lunchbox snack for break times for the little ones too.
From the endless benefits of bananas, we have picked out 5 of the best:
- Bananas help regulate blood sugar levels due to their low glycemic index content which do not cause major spikes in blood sugar levels. A great option for a mid morning snack.
- Got night time leg cramp or cramp at the gym? Grab a banana! The high potassium levels in this yummy yellow fruit help relax the muscle from the contraction causing the cramp, so always have one at the ready to help you out.
- Bananas are great for weight loss! With around 100 calories per banana, they can help keep you feel full until lunch time so you won’t need to dive into a packet of crisps to wade off hunger. Plus they are high in fibre which helps with digestive health.
- Bananas help lower blood pressure and protect against heart attacks and strokes due to low sodium and high potassium content.
- Research has found that bananas may help against asthma; a study found people who ate a banana a day were 34% less likely to develop it.
If these benefits have tempted you to eat this monkey fruit regularly, we have found 3 ways in which to incorporate bananas into your diet:
- Smoothies – Bananas are almost a staple smoothie fruit, giving it that creamier texture and delicious taste. Chop and blend a banana with pineapple and skimmed milk (coconut if you fancy) and you’ll have a virgin pina collada.
- Banana pancakes – These are the easiest pancakes to make and only require two ingredients: eggs and bananas. Mash up a banana, whisk two eggs with it and cook in the frying pan. Voila. Click here to read the recipe.
- Baked bananas – Make a slit in one side of your banana, poke in some chocolate and wrap in some foil. Bake in the oven (180C fan) for 25 minutes until the bananas have turned black. Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt for a healthy option.
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