Bananas....good or bad? What's your take?

TrophyWifeSass

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I love bananas.

It's true, she does, and we love that she loves bananas.

Sass

Maude_Lewbowski

They're fantastic if you peel them and freeze them then eat them like a banana popsicile.

CoryIda

This is how I feel about bananas:

hesn92

I like bananas.

I do not tend to over-think my snack choices like that.

Sp1nGoddess

I had a banana peanut butter post workout shake, yummy!

Lift_This_

They're fantastic if you peel them and freeze them then eat them like a banana popsicile.

hard bananas!!! yummy!

TK266

Bananas, like all fruit, is dangerous for you and you must learn how to defend yourself from them. See below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWCBOsJr-w

stvtellez

I love bananas, but like one of the posts said if your Diabetic eat them in moderation

MariarR33

IMO, if food can go bad in 2-3 weeks, it's definatly not bad for you. OUr bodies recognize foods that come from nature and will digest them much easier. Not all foods have lots of protein or fat or other things. But they all have something good in them. That's why we should eat a balanced diet. Sugar is good for you, it gives you energy. Where it comes from is a different story. Protein is great, but it's not the only thing our bodies need to be healthy. Instead of analizing everyting, eat what you know is good for you, comes from nature, has very few ingrediants, and I don't think you can go wrong.

I wonder how many posts about banannas there would be if there weren't the add at the top of everyones' page about the 5 foods you should never eat!

bast2112

They make a great dessert too! I add it to yogurt or oatmeal, make a smoothie... so versatile. Can't completely deprive yourself of sweets, or at least I can't! I call it a guilt free treat!

taso42

any day that goes by without a banana is a bad day

Rae6503

Food shouldn't be labeled as "good" or "bad" but if it were bananas would definitely be "good".

bowlinmoe

Wow...that's a lot of responses and the majority seems to be pro-bananas.

Thanks!

BirdGirlFit

I vote for good! I eat one a day for potassium and fiber. They're wonderful frozen as a dessert or for a little oomph in your smoothie.

laceylou0702

Plus they come with their own wrappers how cool is that the snack with it's own natural stow & go wrapper. :laugh:

mungmungi

I just ate two and read into it. It's a little more complicated than good or bad.

I love bananas and honestly on the spectrum of the food choices we have, the banana is far into the "good" category. That said bananas are also high in sugar and can spike your blood sugar and trigger insulin release which makes your body take sugar in your blood and store it in the form of FAT. The more ripe the banana, the more sugar. If you eat banana with other foods, then the sugar spike may not happen or will be reduced.

texastango

Everything you always wanted to know about EATING bananas

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2



Bananas, raw

Serving size: 100 grams 1 ounce (28g) 1 cup, mashed (225g) 1 cup, sliced (150g) 1 extra small (less than 6" long) (81g) 1 small (6" to 6-7/8" long) (101g) 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) (118g) 1 large (8" to 8-7/8" long) (136g) 1 extra large (9" or longer) (152g) 1 NLEA serving (126g) FOOD SUMMARY

NUTRITIONAL TARGET MAP™ The Nutritional Target Map™ allows you to see at a glance how foods line up with your nutritional and weight-management goals. The closer a food is to the right edge of the map, the more essential nutrients per calorie it contains. For a more nutritious diet, select foods that fall on the right half of the map.

The closer a food is to the top edge of the map, the more likely it is to fill you up with fewer calories. If you want to restrict your caloric intake without feeling hungry, choose foods from the top half of the map.

Foods that are close to the bottom edge are more calorie-dense. If you want to increase your calorie intake without getting too full, choose foods from the bottom half of the map.
Read more about the Nutritional Target Map



2.5 2.8 Fullness Factor
ND Rating

NutritionData's
Opinion
Weight loss:

Optimum health:

Weight gain:
The good: This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin B6.

The bad: A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.
Caloric Ratio Pyramid
CALORIC RATIO PYRAMID™ This graphic shows you what percentage of the calories in a food come from carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and alcohol. If you are trying to achieve a specific distribution of calories, such as the 40/30/30 distribution of the Zone™ diet, or the more traditional 60/30/10 distribution, the Caloric Ratio Pyramid™ will show you how recipes, meal plans, or individual foods line up with those goals.

Foods low in fat, for example, will cluster along the bottom edge of the pyramid, ranging from foods that are high in carbohydrates (at the left edge) to foods that are high in protein (at the right edge). Foods low in carbohydrates will cluster along the right edge of the pyramid, with foods that are high in fat at the upper edge and foods that are high in protein at the lower edge. Foods that have roughly the same number of calories from fats, calories, and protein will be found closer to the center of the pyramid.
Read more about the Caloric Ratio Pyramid



93% 3% 4%
Carbs Fats Protein



18
-115
moderately inflammatory




ESTIMATED GLYCEMIC LOAD™ Glycemic load is a way of expressing a food or meal's effect on blood-sugar levels. Nutrition Data’s patent-pending Estimated Glycemic Load™ (eGL) is available for every food in the database as well as for custom foods, meals, and recipes in your Pantry.

How to interpret the values: Experts vary on their recommendations for what your total glycemic load should be each day. A typical target for total Estimated Glycemic Load is 100 or less per day. If you have diabetes or metabolic syndrome, you might want to aim a little lower. If you are not overweight and are physically active, a little higher is acceptable.
Read more about the eGL

IF (INFLAMMATION FACTOR) RATING™ The IF (Inflammation Factor) Rating™ estimates the inflammatory or anti-inflammatory potential of individual foods or combinations of foods by calculating the net effect of different nutritional factors, such as fatty acids, antioxidants, and glycemic impact.

How to interpret the values: Foods with positive IF Ratings are considered anti-inflammatory, and those with negative IF Ratings are considered inflammatory. The higher the number, the stronger the effect. The goal is to balance negative foods with positive foods so that the combined rating for all foods eaten in a single day is positive.
Read more about the IF Rating


NUTRIENT BALANCE 42 Completeness Score

NUTRIENT BALANCE INDICATOR™ This symbol offers a visual representation of a food's nutritional strengths and weaknesses, with each spoke representing a different nutrient. The spoke for dietary fiber is colored green, protein is blue, vitamins are purple, minerals are white, and yellow represents a group of commonly overconsumed nutrients: saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

A Completeness Score between 0 and 100 is a relative indication of how complete the food is with respect to these nutrients. Although few (if any) individual foods provide all the essential nutrients, the Nutrient Balance Indicator and Completeness Score can help you construct meals that are nutritionally balanced and complete.
Read more about the Nutrient Balance Indicator
PROTEIN QUALITY



62 Amino Acid Score
PROTEIN QUALITY Protein quality is dependent on having all the essential amino acids in the proper proportions. If one or more amino acid is not present in sufficient amounts, the protein in your diet is considered incomplete.

Each spoke on the Protein Quality graph represents one of the nine essential amino acids, and the graph shows how close the protein in your diet is to the optimal distribution of amino acids recommended by the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board.

An Amino Acid Score of 100 or higher indicates a complete or high-quality protein. If the Amino Acid Score is less than 100, a link is provided to complementary sources of protein. By combining complementary proteins, you may be able to increase the overall quality of the protein you consume.
Read more about Protein Quality

Adding other foods with complementary amino acid profiles to this food may yield a more complete protein source and improve the quality of some types of restrictive diets.

Find foods with complementary profile

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Amounts per 1 cup, mashed (225g)

Calorie Information
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVCalories200(837 kJ)10% From Carbohydrate186(779 kJ) From Fat6.2(26.0 kJ) From Protein8.2(34.3 kJ) From Alcohol0.0(0.0 kJ)

Carbohydrates
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVTotal Carbohydrate51.4g17%Dietary Fiber5.9g23%Starch12.1g Sugars27.5g Sucrose5377mg
Glucose11204mg
Fructose10912mg
Lactose0.0mg
Maltose22.5mg
Galactose0.0mg

Fats & Fatty Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVTotal Fat0.7g1%Saturated Fat0.3g1%4:000.0mg
6:000.0mg
8:000.0mg
10:002.3mg
12:004.5mg
13:00~
14:004.5mg
15:00~
16:00229mg
17:00~
18:0011.3mg
19:00~
20:00~
22:00~
24:00:00~
Monounsaturated Fat0.1g 14:01~
15:01~
16:1 undifferentiated22.5mg
16:1 c~
16:1 t~
17:01~
18:1 undifferentiated49.5mg
18:1 c~
18:1 t~
20:010.0mg
22:1 undifferentiated0.0mg
22:1 c~
22:1 t~
24:1 c~
Polyunsaturated Fat0.2g 16:2 undifferentiated~
18:2 undifferentiated103mg
18:2 n-6 c,c~
18:2 c,t~
18:2 t,c~
18:2 t,t~
18:2 i~
18:2 t not further defined~
18:0360.8mg
18:3 n-3, c,c,c~
18:3 n-6, c,c,c~
18:4 undifferentiated0.0mg
20:2 n-6 c,c~
20:3 undifferentiated~
20:3 n-3~
20:3 n-6~
20:4 undifferentiated0.0mg
20:4 n-3~
20:4 n-6~
20:5 n-30.0mg
22:02~
22:5 n-30.0mg
22:6 n-30.0mg
Total trans fatty acids~ Total trans-monoenoic fatty acids~ Total trans-polyenoic fatty acids~ Total Omega-3 fatty acids60.8mg Total Omega-6 fatty acids103mg Learn more about these fatty acids
and their equivalent names Protein & Amino Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVProtein2.5g5%Tryptophan20.2mg
Threonine63.0mg
Isoleucine63.0mg
Leucine153mg
Lysine112mg
Methionine18.0mg
Cystine20.2mg
Phenylalanine110mg
Tyrosine20.2mg
Valine106mg
Arginine110mg
Histidine173mg
Alanine90.0mg
Aspartic acid279mg
Glutamic acid342mg
Glycine85.5mg
Proline63.0mg
Serine90.0mg
Hydroxyproline~

Vitamins
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVVitamin A144IU3%Retinol0.0mcg
Retinol Activity Equivalent6.8mcg
Alpha Carotene56.2mcg
Beta Carotene58.5mcg
Beta Cryptoxanthin0.0mcg
Lycopene0.0mcg
Lutein+Zeaxanthin49.5mcg
Vitamin C19.6mg33%Vitamin D~ ~Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)0.2mg1%Beta Tocopherol0.0mg
Gamma Tocopherol0.0mg
Delta Tocopherol0.0mg
Vitamin K1.1mcg1%Thiamin0.1mg5%Riboflavin0.2mg10%Niacin1.5mg7%Vitamin B60.8mg41%Folate45.0mcg11%Food Folate45.0mcg
Folic Acid0.0mcg
Dietary Folate Equivalents45.0mcg
Vitamin B120.0mcg0%Pantothenic Acid0.8mg8%Choline22.0mg Betaine0.2mg

Minerals
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVCalcium11.3mg1%Iron0.6mg3%Magnesium60.8mg15%Phosphorus49.5mg5%Potassium806mg23%Sodium2.3mg0%Zinc0.3mg2%Copper0.2mg9%Manganese0.6mg30%Selenium2.3mcg3%Fluoride5.0mcg

Sterols
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVCholesterol0.0mg0%Phytosterols36.0mg Campesterol~
Stigmasterol~
Beta-sitosterol~

Other
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DVAlcohol0.0g Water169g Ash1.8g Caffeine0.0mg Theobromine0.0mg



Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2#ixzz1vWxgp7Ij

Sam3622

bananas are AMAZING! potassium potassium potassium. and yummy. i'll eat any that you don't want.

This! I have one every morning. Also....I read a few years ago that they are also good to help combat depression. But I don't know the truth in that.

Yeah i heard that too...my fiances dad has depression and whenever he's not feeling too good, his wife tells him to eat a big banana, he usually perks up quite a bit about half an hour later...but it could be different for everyone of course.