If you're looking to increase the protein content in your banana bread, substitute Greek yogurt for some of the banana puree. Greek yogurt is almost the same consistency as banana puree too.
Here are 15 foods that pack more potassium than a banana.
- Avocados. Share on Pinterest.
- Sweet Potatoes. Like avocados, sweet potatoes have become increasingly popular and are often used as an alternative to potatoes.
- Spinach.
- Watermelon.
- Coconut Water.
- White Beans.
- Black Beans.
- Edamame.
If you're a banana hater looking for a substitute, kiwi is the perfect fruit for you. Other fruits that contain nutrients similar to bananas include cantaloupes and mangos.
You can replace 1 banana with 1/2 cup of applesauce, but avoid using more than 1 cup total applesauce in a recipe (it'll be too wet and dense and cook unevenly).
Bananas: As a substitute for vegetable oil or other oil called for in a baking recipe, swap in mashed bananas for half the oil called for. Pureed or baby-food pears: This convenient product also makes a good substitute for oil in baking.
Regular ice cubes or frozen milk or even frozen coffee ice cubes all work wonderfully to thicken up a smoothie. I always add at least 1/2 to 1 cup of ice cubes to my smoothies because I like them very cold and thick. Again, frozen ingredients make the biggest difference in making thick smoothie bowls.
“The smell with banana is very particular,” Mannam says. “It's very strong.” The fruit's distinctive characteristics also explain why it's all you can taste in your morning smoothie. To combat that, Mannam suggests adding sweet fruits that'll mask the taste, such as berries and apples.
5 Smoothie Thickeners that aren't Bananas
- Xanthan Gum. Xanthan gum is a powder that is common, specifically in vegan baked goods, because it binds the ingredients together.
- Cauliflower Rice.
- Chia Seeds.
- Protein powder.
Bananas are also rich in potassium, fiber and natural sugars. The vitamin C, potassium and other vitamins and minerals bananas contain help to maintain overall good health. Because the fruit's sugar content is balanced with fiber, it helps maintain a healthy blood glucose level.
Fix it in the future: First, scale back on added liquid—whether it's water, coconut water, juice, or milk. If that doesn't work, try swapping out ingredients that have high water content. Instead of apples, pears, oranges, grapes, celery, cucumbers, or watermelon, try bananas, dates, mango, or avocado.
How to thicken smoothies without adding calories
- Add chia seeds. Chia seeds are very dense in nutrients.
- Add Xanthan gum.
- Use less fluid.
- Use frozen fruits and veggies.
- Add fruits with soluble fiber.
- Add flaxseeds.
- Add sweet potato or pumpkin puree.
- Avoid substandard blenders.
5 Tips to Make a Smoothie Thicker
- Use frozen fruit or freeze fruit overnight. I always have a stash of bananas in the freezer because they're perfect in smoothies!
- Freeze some of the liquid.
- Use the minimum amount of liquid.
- Add a scoop of raw oats or chia seeds.
- Blend protein powder or greens first.
For the best tasting smoothie, use a ripe banana. For the creamiest banana smoothie, use frozen banana slices (I've shared how I freeze bananas for smoothies below). Half an orange — When I have oranges in the house, I love adding them to my morning smoothie. It adds extra vitamin C and tropical flavor.
You can freeze them whole with the peel on or off. The outer peel will turn dark in the freezer, but won't affect the banana flesh. When ready to use, take them out of the freezer to defrost. When freezing bananas whole in the peel, all you need to do is put them in a freezer-quality plastic bag and freeze.
Whether you freeze bananas unpeeled or pre-sliced, as long they are stored at a constant temperature of 0 °F (-17.8 °C), frozen bananas will always be safe to eat. However frozen bananas will stay fresh without losing their quality for between 2-3 months. So in general, freezing bananas won't make you sick.
When properly stored at 0 °F, frozen bananas can last forever. According to the FDA and US Department of Agriculture, you can be confident bananas frozen will stay fresh for two-to-three months without losing quality, but the fruit should stay safe for eating long after that if you freeze them correctly.
The only drawback to bananas is that they have a short life span, however, flash freezing bananas has been proven to retain all nutrients as well as keeping it fresh. Potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, copper and manganese are crucial vitamins and minerals that bananas offer.
Store frozen banana slices in a ziplock bag (ensuring you've forced as much air out as possible before zipping) OR in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you're wanting to use your frozen banana slices for baking simply remove the amount of slices you'll need and place them in a bowl to thaw.
It's important to note that while your frozen banana slices will start to turn an unappealing brown color over time, that's fine! The oxidation process is harmless and does not impact the nutrient quality of your produce.
A: Bananas can be frozen for up to six months.
8 Crazy Delicious New Things You Can Do with Frozen Bananas
- This Rawesome Vegan Life.
- Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches.
- Healthy Cookie Dough Blizzard.
- Clean Eating Pumpkin Ice Cream.
- Banana Chocolate PB Ice Cream.
- Blueberry Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Cake.
- Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana and PB Bites.
