Ingredient of the week
Today is the first instalment of a new series of blog posts called ‘ingredient of the week’. Lots of people have been asking me to post some of my recipes that I’ve been trialling over the last few years so I thought it would be a good idea to provide a bit of healthy info to go with them.
Ingredient of this week is going to be bananas. I love bananas - they have got to be the ultimate fast food and so sweet, tasty and versatile. So, before introducing the recipes I have chosen, here’s a list of reasons why they are a perfect ‘superfood’
Reasons to eat bananas
Bananas contain high levels of tryptophan which helps make serotonin (the happy-mood brain transmitter) so they make us feel good and can also help with seasonal affective disorder. Tryptophan also aids the production of melatonin which helps us sleep.
Bananas are a favourite among athletes as the combination of natural sugars, balanced with the soluble fibre and potassium provide good stable energy when eaten before a workout and helps with recovery. They also protect against muscle cramps and night time leg cramps due to the high levels of potassium.
Potassium is also essential for maintaining proper heart function and regulating normal blood pressure. Eating bananas can be effective for lowering high blood pressure.
Bananas are a good source of manganese which helps your body make collagen and protects your skin against free radical damage.
Supplementing with bananas counteracts calcium loss in bones.
Reduce PMS symptoms by eating bananas.
Bananas are high in Vitamin B6 which is involved in producing antibodies for a stronger immune system and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
They can also reduce swelling by draining water from your muscles.
Bananas can strengthen your blood and treat anaemia with the amounts of iron they contain.
Rich in pectin, bananas help with digestion and getting rid of toxins and heavy metals from the body.
Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of good bacteria in the large intestine. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
High in fibre, they can help with constipation and help food move through the digestive system more easily. They can also restore lost electrolytes after diarrhoea.
They are a natural antacid providing relief from acid reflux and heartburn.
Bananas can be eaten to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.
Bananas make you more alert, again because of the high levels of potassium.
Bananas are high in antioxidants providing protection from chronic diseases.
Eating bananas between meals can help to stabilise blood sugar and can reduce nausea from morning sickness.
Eating bananas can lower the body temperature on a hot day.
Trying to give up smoking? the high levels of B vitamins, potassium and magnesium speed up recovery from withdrawal symptoms.
As a good source of magnesium, bananas help boost lipolysis, a process by which your body releases fat from its stores.
So, there you go. So many reasons to be eating bananas, and so many recipes to choose from. It was difficult for me to choose but here they are:
Breakfast Banana Split (yes really!)
Post Workout Banana Smoothie
Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Chunky Monkey Banana Ice Cream
Breakfast Banana Split
Banana Split for breakfast?! I know what you're thinking. That doesn't sound too healthy, but believe me, it is. Gone is the ice cream (sorry) and in it's place I've added Greek Yoghurt. It's not really a recipe as you can use anything you want to create your own. It only takes about 5 minutes to prepare and looks and tastes great - just like a dessert, but for breakfast. What's not to love?
Ingredients (serves 1)
1 Banana (surprise)
100g Full Fat Greek Yoghurt
Melted 85% Dark chocolate or honey
Raspberries
Pumpkin Seeds 10g
Ground Flaxseed 10g
Blueberries (not shown)
I added flaxseeds for an extra boost of Omega 3 and fibre and pumpkin seeds for their zinc. Get creative- try different toppings. Just keep it healthy!
Post Workout Banana Smoothie
After your workout, it's time to refuel. Smoothies are the perfect thing to turn to as they are easy to make, digest and transport. A smoothie can be a perfect blend of; protein you need to repair and build muscle; carbs you need to restore the glycogen you have lost, and antioxidants that fight inflammation and cell damage.
Again it's up to you what you want to use. My preferences include coconut water, which replenishes potassium levels. As you know from reading the benefits of eating bananas, potassium is great for preventing muscle cramps so it seems a logical choice for a post workout drink. It also contains the other essential electrolytes; sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.
However, as bananas are a great post workout choice on their own, I also use unsweetened almond milk as a base for the smoothie.
For the protein element, I use either a whey protein or a plant protein powder. I am very particular about which brands I use as the majority of protein powders on the market are highly processed and are often heat treated to the point that the protein is denatured, which makes it nearly impossible for the body to recognise and use it. There are lots of other reasons why I wouldn't touch them, but that's for another time.
Ingredients (serves 1)
1 Banana
200ml Coconut Water or Almond Milk
Whey Protein Powder (I use Solgar) or Plant Protein Powder (I use Epic) If you don't want to use these then replace with a low fat greek yoghurt for the protein fix (normally, I'm a full fat advocate all the way, but there's a reason why I want to keep my post workout fuel low fat)
12g Flax\Chia Seed mix (to give the smoothie a thicker consistency and add some omega 3's)
Instructions
Blend it all together and put it in a glass mason jar in the fridge until you need it. I often make my smoothies the night before so the chia has time to thicken and swell.
Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
This is one of the easiest things I have ever made. Last week I actually made this every day for 4 days. My girls had it for breakfast and as a snack with greek yoghurt when they got home from school. Let’s just say, every time I make this, it doesn't last long.
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas
3 eggs
110g almond meal
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 squares 85% dark chocolate
I’ve made it with 70g of walnuts too but one of my daughters doesn't like them so usually I leave them out. I replaced the walnuts with the dark chocolate once and I never went back. Or add both.
Instructions
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees
Add chopped bananas, eggs, almond meal and maple syrup to a food mixer and blitz together for 20 seconds.
Pour into a greaseproof paper lined loaf tin
Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and then stir them into the mixture.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Greek yoghurt or Almond Butter are perfect to combine with this.
Chunky Monkey Banana Ice Cream
I can't believe it took me so long to discover this, but when I did, I never looked back! Thanks to its high pectin content, when you blitz a frozen banana in a blender it magically turns into the creamiest, richest ice cream. I started off with just using banana but then began to experiment with extra ingredients. It's now second on my easy dessert repertoire list (top of the list will be featured on another 'ingredient of the week')
So, if you're new to this amazing treat, here are the step by step instructions to get you in on the banana ice cream secret.
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 bananas
50g walnuts
4 squares 85% Dark Chocolate
Instructions
1. Peel and chop the bananas (better if they are sweet and soft).
2. Put the bananas into an airtight container and place in the freezer.
3. Leave for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
4. Blend the banana pieces in a small food processor until the banana goes gooey. Scrape the excess banana from the sides into the main mix and keep blending.
5. Watch the magic happen! Suddenly, the mixture will change from blended banana to creamy, soft ice cream.
6. This is the time to add the walnuts and chopped up dark chocolate.
7. Eat straight away. I guess you could put it back in the freezer in an airtight container, but I've never tried.
Other things you could try:
Almond Butter
Honey
Almonds
Raw Cacoa powder
Cinnamon
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE BANANA RECIPE?
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lifestyle360@outlook.com
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