The other night I was out to dinner with someone who “reprimanded” me for the (3) banana-carob puddings I had indulged in for lunch earlier that day (what can I say, I like my comfort food during the winter). “Bananas are very constipating you know…” he warned.
Banana Carob Pudding
Here is the thing… Bananas, while much denser than their other watery counterparts, are not in itself “constipating.” Yes, they are more difficult to digest than say, an apple (apples are only easier to digest on an empty stomach, I might add), but when eaten “correctly”- they should not be a cause for stomach discomfort.
As I mention in the “combination” section of “My Philosophy,” fruits should only be eaten on an empty stomach, ideally for breakfast. Bananas, however, are unusual fruits, and thus can be combined with starchy foods, like avocados and sweet potatoes, etc. For this reason, they make a wonderful dessert or snack.
That being said, here are some tricks of the trade, where bananas are concerned.
this banana is on its way to being past its prime. enjoy now!
First and foremost, in order to ensure that your banana is not going to cause any Gwen Stefani chaos, make sure that it has freckles.
- There should be a decent about of brown spots on the banana
- It should give slightly at a tender poke
- It should not be so covered in freckles that you cannot decipher whether or not it is yellow or brown (this is a sign that it is past its prime and the banana is starting to lose nutrients)
- There should be absolutely no green remaining on the banana (any green = not ripe and not ready for eating)
Do you remember that banana-nightmare-myth when you were younger? This urban legend warned: not to eat a banana past a certain time because it would lead to nightmares. I can remember both wanting to challenge my mother’s warning and yet still being slightly spooked… Who knew bananas could summon monsters from under the bed? — What talent!! So! Why the nightmare omen? Any food that can upset the stomach and disrupt sleep can technically instigate “bad dreams.”
In order to avoid “bad dreams” and stomachaches, make sure that the banana is ripe before you enjoy it and don’t enjoy it right before you go to bed (just like any food). To make a banana ripen more quickly, place it next to a tomato. The ethylene gas that the tomato emits will ripen that banana in 24 hours or less…(this may also ripen the tomato more quickly than you want) you can also speed up the ripening process by putting it in a brown paper bag.
Also, as Martha Stewart Living magazine points out in the January issue, article entitled, “Fresh Thinking: Organic, Local, Seasonal,” “Americans eat more pounds of bananas than any other fruit”. Why is this important? Bananas carry a decent amount of pesticide residue. Since we consume so many of them, it may be a very wise decision to shoot for the organic bananas and therefore decrease the amount of pesticides we come in contact with.
Bananas seem to have quite the reputation… have you heard any of the above that I mentioned? Do you have a favorite banana recipe or do you enjoy them plain?
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I was just thinking about this today on my way to class. I packed a banana in my bag last night for breakfast this morning, and it was a little spottier than I find ideal. I recently started only buying organic produce and so this banana was organic. Do organic bananas ripen/ go spottier before non- organic?
Also, fav banana recipe has to be banana bread oats! I just wrote a post about them! Thanks for the info about ripening with a tomato, i’ve never heard that advice.
http://jennahinkley.blogspot.com – banana bread oats recipe.
I love bananas, I miss them so much. I have candida so I can’t have anything, but vegetables. I loved them in a green smoothie or by themselves.
Hi Jenna,
What a great question! I do not have a definitive answer because the ripening of your organic banana could have happened for a number of reasons… not to mention there is a good deal about the transportation of produce that I am unaware of (and frankly, afraid to find out!).
In general, inorganic bananas ripen more rapidly than their chemical-free companions. This is because inorganic bananas are usually sprayed with chemicals (or gas) that encourage them to be ready for eating when they arrive at the store.
Organic Bananas, on the other hand are not sprayed (or they should not be) and are shipped over in plastic wrapping- which encourage them to ripen…
Perhaps you were storing your bananas next to other produce emitting naturally occurring ethylene gas (tomatoes are not the only ones)… Also the fact that you bagged your banana the evening before enjoying it plays a role in the ripening of the banana as well.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the recipe!
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