Bananas-friend or foe
Replies
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Bananas are pure genius !!!! A natural sweetener, filler and energ source all in one ... and 1g=1cal so easy to workout in your head if you need to.
Rather than add tsps of sugar or honey to something that adds calories but doesn’t change the volume ... I add banana, it adds sweetness AND bulks the food out so it’s more filling. Again with baking, add it to protein powders etc and it sweetens/thickens/sets anything from cookies to cake to pancakes to smoothies .... you can even make ice cream with it
Love bananas !!!! The average 100cal sweet versatile treat2 -
Put a frozen banana into one of those Yonanas machines, mix it with some PB2 powder and you've got delicious peanut butter banana soft-serve.2
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The greener the banana the less sugar it has. You won't notice if it's in a smoothie or you get use to it after awhile. If that's your concern1
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I love bananas and eat one every day, sometimes two if it fits in my calories.1
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I'm not that into bananas compared with many other fruits (and plenty of other foods are as good for potassium -- 100 g of potatoes has more than 100 g of bananas), but that's just a personal preference. There is absolutely nothing wrong and lots right about bananas if you enjoy them. GI is rather irrelevant, and the anti banana stuff boggles my mind.
I find them reasonably filling (but I don't snack anyway, so normally don't worry about how filling any food is on its own), but if you don't find they satiate you in the way you eat them, that might be a concern. I do enjoy them as an easy pre run food that won't upset my stomach or a great post race food -- for some reason I find them tastier then than I normally do.1 -
Unless you have a medical condition whereby sugar needs to be limited or the high potassium is a problem ( people with renal failure need to be careful) then bananas are a nutritious and perfectly good food.
Whether you like them or find them filling or worth the calories is subjective - like any other food.
Me personally - friend.
I like bananas, they are cheap and easy and I eat several per week.
Not difficult to fit into even a lowish calorie allowance.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »I love them but thought they were high on glycemic index and therefore made a persons sugar spike. Thanks!
Firstly, the glycemic index of a food isn't relevant unless you have a medical issue with blood sugar regulation.
Secondly, the glycemic index of a food is only relevant if you are eating that one particular food in isolation from any/all other foods, while in a fasted state. If you consume any other food with it, or still have those foods being digested in your stomach, they alter the GI of whatever food you're eating.
I like it when someone saves me the trouble of typing.
That doesn't make it irrelevant though just less significant as it still impacts the overall level of GI of food being digested
Also the GI level of food is relevant as if you only eat high GI foods then you are likely to feel hungry sooner making staying in a deficit harder.6 -
The connection of GI with satiety has been debunked.
You shouldn't eat only high GI foods, but that's because that would be a seriously unbalanced diet. Does it matter if most meals include some higher GI foods (hard to imagine meals that wouldn't also include lower GI foods if someone were eating in a sensible balanced way)? Of course not. The idea that banana (or potato) is high GI so should be avoided isn't really a good approach. (And I find both more filling than, say, bacon, which has a low GI, presumably, since it's fat and a little protein. Satiety is about mix of food and, also, is largely individual.)
Rather than messing with GI, I'd say pay attention to what you eat and how you feel and modify if you are struggling to stay in your calories -- just common sense!4 -
Hi
New to the app. Trying to learn as much as possible. Can you all tell me your thoughts on bananas? I was told they are too high on the glycemic index and therefore should be avoided or at least be limited, but so many smoothie recipes call for them. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
You shouldn't listen to that person's *kitten* advice. Unless your doctor tells you not to eat bananas, you can eat those damn bananas.1 -
Bananas are yummy. I eat one every day. I've lost over 40lbs.0
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For me, foe. But I don't think they're worth the carbs/calories as they don't fill me up. They're like a candy bar to me (except with more micronutrients obviously).
There is nothing wrong with bananas. If they fit into your diet and you like them, go for it. If they leave you feeling unsatisfied or you're short on calories, skip it or eat half.
Me too - high on cals and sugar - more of a dessert to me - although I love them with oats and milk - which co-incidentally are also scarily high on cals!1 -
Are you diabetic or otherwise concerned about your blood sugar? If not, there's nothing specifically wrong with bananas. Even if so, bananas are still OK, they just tend towards higher sugar levels relative to their calories. They're manageable if eaten in moderation.
Not diabetic-I’ve been trying to do little to no sugar and little to no carbs. I’ve lost 60 lbs but have 20 more to go and just can’t maintain a no sugar no carb diet. One of my coworkers recommended this app. Thanks for all the feedback! Seems like a great group!!!
Unfortunately that’s why many of us don’t recommend extremely restrictive diets to begin with. You’ve lost weight, and that’s great, but you did so eating in a way that’s unsustainable (for you and for most people). It’s good you’re realizing this now and can try to set up a sustainable plan to help you lose the last 20 lbs and transition smoothly into maintenance to help keep the weight off.
You may see some temporary weight gain as you reintroduce carbs but once you get calories on track then you should start losing again.
As others have said, no food is particularly good or bad - it’s all about how it fits in the context of your overall diet. Are you planning to still do low carb, just not as low as before? Or are you going for more of a moderation approach? Have you set up MFP with your goals and goal rate of loss (0.5 lb/week would be appropriate for 20 lbs to lose) to get a calorie target? Are you planning on using a food scale for logging accuracy (recommended)?
Read the stickied most helpful forum posts at the top of the different sections they have some great info in them and a lot of commonly asked questions.
Good luck!
PS - I can’t stand bananas but I eat lots of other things that are higher in carbs/sugars and it didn’t prevent me from losing weight and keeping it off.3 -
Nah. Bananas just don't do it for me. I'd rather eat a Cadbury's creme egg.
And all the 'experts' tell me they are the perfect fuel for runners. Nope. Tried it, and felt like I was running with an enormous brick in my stomach.3 -
Since they seem to trigger my asthma, I am going to have to go with foe.1
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concordancia wrote: »Since they seem to trigger my asthma, I am going to have to go with foe.
How/why do they do that? Is it an allergy thing?0 -
Fine unless you are on a boat. They are bad luck on boats1
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Nothing wrong with bananas - if you like them, eat them
they're a good snack in general and pretty low on cals too. 1 -
I eat a banana every weekend before my long run with a peanut butter and honey sandwich. So, friend.1
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Foe. Because they will cause me to asphyxiate lol Also, they're higher calorie than other fruits or vegetables that I'd prefer.1
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fitoverfortymom wrote: »I eat a banana every weekend before my long run with a peanut butter and honey sandwich. So, friend.
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches as pre-run fuel are the bomb!1 -
Definitely friend, I eat for 3325 calories, so a banana represents only a small percentage in my diet, I am lifter therfore there a lot of benefits in eating before and/or after a workout. I don't see how a banana can be a foe, unless you just hate the taste, have little calories to work with or your doctor advises you to not eat it.2
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It must be because there's always a picture of a banana in those silly woo internet advertisements that say "Do not EVER eat these 5 foods for weight loss!!1!!1!!!"Definitely friend, I eat for 3325 calories, so a banana represents only a small percentage in my diet, I am lifter therfore there a lot of benefits in eating before and/or after a workout. I don't see how a banana can be a foe, unless you just hate the taste, have little calories to work with or your doctor advises you to not eat it.
For example:
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I eat two a day with a peanut butter sandwich at lunch. The more yellow the better (like super yellow with brown spots) and no green, those are nasty bananas.
I also like to maintain eye contact with anyone that walks by my desk while I eat them. I now have a very peaceful lunch.6 -
BruinsGal_91 wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »I eat a banana every weekend before my long run with a peanut butter and honey sandwich. So, friend.
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches as pre-run fuel are the bomb!
It's the real MVP if my long runs.1 -
I like the taste of bananas but agree they are a bit higher calorie than other fruits I enjoy, so I don't have them daily or anything. Usually friends and family give me their overripe bananas because they know I like 'em that way (weird? oh well) and I chop & throw them in the freezer for smoothies & banana bread. I probably eat 1 banana per week.2
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I eat one every day in the morning with oatmeal or cashew butter toast. It gives me a kick of energy like I used to get when I drank coffee. I usually get the smaller bananas or share with the dog. She loves them!2
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I usually eat a banana before an early morning run. Easy, fast, healthy, and cheap.
Side Note: Does anyone want to waste a lot of time going down a hilarious banana themed internet rabbit hole? Read the reviews....
https://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/dp/B0047E0EII1 -
Dietician I trusted and liked told me good, but 1 banana = 2 servings, so if you are diabetic or have a problem with calories when eating them, try eating 1/2 a banana with a meal, or at least with a substantial amount of protein.2
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I love bananas. I weigh them when I eat them and log by the gram; I have had them range from 80 to 150 grams, so logging "banana 100 cals" is not a great idea if you eat a lot of them. They are not empty calories.3
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Hi
New to the app. Trying to learn as much as possible. Can you all tell me your thoughts on bananas? I was told they are too high on the glycemic index and therefore should be avoided or at least be limited, but so many smoothie recipes call for them. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
So many smoothie recipes posted on trendy sites work out to ridiculously high calories, that I would rather have the nice large solid meal equivalent.
The fruit is blameless in comparison
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