Did you know that bananas were invented back in 500 BC? They are edible fruits that have been consumed over a long period of time across the world. Bananas grow in warm areas and vary in shape, size, and color.
While we know of the common yellow banana, they are ten types of bananas.
The yellow banana is the most common and preferred compared to the green banana. It has a sweet flavor, and is easily digestible. Bananas are rich in starch and contain minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that increase as they ripen.
So, can you eat overripe bananas? Yes, you can. Overripe bananas are still edible and can be transformed into other delicious dishes. You can make a sweet smoothie or even bake muffins and cakes. Therefore you should not throw away your bananas once they start over-ripening.
How Can You Use Overripe Bananas?
There many creative ways that over-ripening bananas can be used in the kitchen rather than discarding them away.
You can make easy, yummy banana cakes and muffins for breakfast. The fact that bananas are easy to digest they combine pretty well with other natural products like oats and chocolate. A sweet piece of banana cake can make your family happy.
Are you missing a creamy smoothie? A quick blending will do the magic. Overripe bananas will add flavor to your smoothies and milkshake and make it creamy. If you are a vegan, you can add ripe bananas to your veggies to balance your vegetable flavor.
Ripe bananas can be enjoyed in cereals, yogurt, desserts, and butter toast. All you need to do is mash the banana well to get sweet banana bread.
Also, you can use overripe bananas to make some healthy and sweet pancakes. So, you do not have to worry about bland and tasteless pancakes when you have overripe bananas in your kitchen.
Lastly, if you notice that your bananas are about to go bad, you can freeze them to preserve for later use.
Are Overripe Bananas Bad for You?
No. Overripe bananas are not bad for you. They contain many nutrients that are important for your body. One serving of ripe banana provides about 110 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams sugar, 3 grams fiber, and 450 mg potassium.
The potassium contents in bananas can help the cardiovascular system to elevate blood pressure levels and heart conditions. The presence of pectin, which is a type of fiber, helps to moderate blood sugar levels. It’s therefore, safe for people with underlying conditions such as diabetes.
Gluten, high fiber contents, and low calories can help in weight management. The sweetness in ripe bananas can help in curbing cravings and can reduce appetite. One can eliminate bad eating habits by choosing a healthy snack such as a ripe banana rich in nutrients and low in calories. Therefore, ripe bananas are a good fruit for the entire family.
The presence of antioxidants in ripe bananas can help boost your health by neutralizing free radicals in the body. It also helps protect you from UV exposure that may cause skin cancer.
However, eating too many ripe bananas is not healthy. They may cause tooth decay due to the sweetness that causes the same damages as eating chocolates.
As the banana ripens, it increases the amino acids, which the body converts into tyramine. This can dilate blood vessels, which triggers migraine headaches and pain in the body.
As they say, too much of something is poisonous. Therefore, you should eat ripe bananas in moderation to ensure that the nutrients help the body rather than damaging it.
Can Babies Eat Overripe Bananas?
Yes, babies can eat overripe bananas as they require nutrients to boost their growth and development. In fact, most moms introduce bananas as the first solid foods when they start to wean their babies. The fact that ripe bananas are sweet, babies naturally accept the taste quickly.
As explained, bananas are rich in vitamins A, C, D, and K; B vitamins, foliate, chorine, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, manganese, and selenium. All these are healthy in making purees for the babies.
In fact, over-ripening bananas are ideal for babies as they can help to relieve constipation. However, babies should not eat too many bananas as pectin fiber can lead to constipation. Also, for babies that just started weaning, you should mash well to reduce choking.
Finally, you should ensure that you do not give the baby unripe bananas as they are hard to digest, and may cause discomfort and pain. So, to prevent this, overripe bananas are an excellent choice.
What Causes Over-ripening in Bananas?
Over ripening in bananas is caused by ethylene, which speeds up the maturation of fruits. It breaks down the banana cells and converts starch to sugars. This makes the banana turn brown from yellow.
However, you can preserve the bananas from over-ripening by ensuring that you do not store them with other ripe fruits.
You can also buy green bananas that are slightly ripe to prevent over-ripening. Lastly, you can cover the stems to prevent ethylene’s escape and prevent the evaporation of moisture. These few tips will keep the bananas fresh for some time.
Final Thoughts
- Bananas have existed as early as 500BC. There are edible fruits that are eaten by people across the world. Over ripening of bananas occur once they turn brown when not consumed.
- You can still eat overripe bananas because they are still sweet and healthy. There different ways that you can eat overripe bananas. For instance, in baking recipes, making smoothies, milkshakes, pancakes and butter toast.
- Overripe bananas are not bad for you. They are rich in nutrients that are helpful to our bodies. They contain fiber, potassium, vitamins and are low in calories.
- However, you should avoid eating too many bananas as it’s not healthy. Adults should consume two bananas in a day. Excess bananas may cause tooth decay, and migraines.
- Bananas overripe if they stay for some time without consuming them