Banana helps in weight loss!! Wait, No, it makes you gain weight. All those banana freaks out there would love to believe that bananas contribute to reducing weight. You could actually debate on that topic. However, let us dissect this issue and check whether it really helps in reducing or gaining. We all know that bananas are sweet, which could also mean that it is quite rich in carb content. And this would be the point that most of the people who warn against eating bananas for fear of weight gain put forward. Unfortunately, it is true that bananas are relatively high in sugar and can turn to body fat more quickly than any other nutrients.
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If you check the calorie content of banana, you can find that it is quite on the higher side when you compare it with other fruits. This is yet another reason for bananas to get a bad knock. Take into consideration apples and bananas. One cup of banana slices would contain around 135 calories while one cup of apple slices may contain only 60 calories.
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On the other hand, the experts in the pro-banana camp say that the packaged fruit has the exact amount of calories and carbs for a pleasant and fresh snack option. The quantity of sugar is not high related to most sugary snacks such as candy and cookies. Moreover, bananas have added benefits of fiber content. Other people opine that eating fruits will not allow you to gain weight because the fruit itself is crammed with vitamins, and other nutrients wich are required by our body to stay fit and active. However, there is no convincing evidence that bananas make you gain weight or lose weight, and so, it all comes down to the number of calories they contain and also the number of calories you are burning.
Banana, the Great Snack:
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If the banana is consumed as a snack, you could call it as a great snack since it is pretty much filling and also nutritious along with a moderate number of calories. It is always safer to stick to your limits because if you add three large bananas into your daily diet, you are consuming atleast 350 additional calories. Don’t forget that one medium banana which is around 7 to 8 inches long has about 105 calories. It also has 27g carbs, half a gram of fat, 3g fiber, 1g protein and 14.5g sugars. On the other hand, bananas could also be considered as good source of Vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant and Potassium, which is good for health.
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Nutrition Facts
Banana contains Vitamin B6 which fulfills around 30-35 percent of the daily recommended consumption for adults. Vitamin B helps in treating anaemia, producing energy from food, promoting healthy nervous system functioning and also helps in maintaining healthy eyes, hair, and liver. The presence of Vitamin B6 is good new for the vegans out there because Vitamin B6 is mostly found in animal-based products. So, consuming a banana a day is an excellent way to attain almost half of the suggested intake. Moreover, a new investigation published in The Journal of Proteome Research observed that both pears and bananas and pears significantly improve athletic recovery and athletic performance.
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However, avoid banana chips. 210 calories and 12.5-gram fat are what is contained in half a cup serving of chips. Banana chips are just bananas that have been deep fried and are immersed in sugar which is also known as food fakers.
Bananas contain Potassium, which is good for hair health.
Here are some great snack ideas which you can try and enjoy.
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With oatmeal: Slice up your bananas and add it to your oatmeal to enjoy a delicious meal. If you don’t wnt to slice the bananas, you could also mash your bananas and the add it to your oatmeal while it cooks.
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A Cinnamon-Sprinkled snack: have you ever tried bananas with cinnamon? They both make a great combo. Slice the bananas and dust it up with some cinnamon and there you go!!
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With yogurt: Go healthy and use the Greek Yogurt along with sliced bananas, some cinnamon and no-calorie sweetener. You could also try layering. Layer the fruit and yoghurt with some bran cereal high in fiber and also sliced almonds.
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Frozen coins: Do you like the texture of frozen banana? If you haven’t tried it yet, you should try it. Frozen bananas are going to consume some time while eating which means that by the time you are done with eating the frozen banana, you will feel full. You can also top your banana coins with chopped peanuts and strawberry yoghurt before freezing them. It is somewhat like a ‘healthy deconstructed banana split’!
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Other than those mentioned above, there are delicious ways to include bananas into your diet. You could make a Banana Bread Oatmeal, Mocha Banana Protein Smoothie Bowl or even a Banana pancake!!
