Protein In Banana: Add This Fruit To Your Daily Diet To Stay Fit And Healthy

Bananas are one of the most popular all-season fruits all around the globe. They're nutritious, delicious and extremely versatile. Bananas give culinary enthusiasts a lot of room to experiment and can be turned into a number of delightful dishes. From pancakes to crepes, cakes, bread, halwa, sheera and kheer, bananas can be baked into lip-smacking desserts. They're commonly added to smoothie bowls, smoothies, milkshakes and oatmeal porridge, to make them more nutritionally rich and filling. Bananas are especially favoured by gym freaks and health-conscious people, due to its high fibre content and low calories. It is also a source of good carbohydrates. Bananas give you the energy required to help you sail through your workout session with ease.

This is why bananas have a good rapport, at least when it comes to weight loss and fitness. Bananas are frequently enjoyed with breakfast dishes, to give you the energy to help you get through busy mornings easily. Bananas are also used in a number of home remedies in India, including ones for digestive troubles like loose motions. But are bananas really as healthy as they are often touted to be? If you are concerned about including this naturally sweet fruit in your diet, rest assured because according to United States Department of Agriculture, a standard-sized banana contains just 89 calories. Moreover, it contains manganese, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 and is also a fruit with high water content. This is why it also helps you stay hydrated.Also Read: 10 Versatile Ways Bananas Can be Used Apart from just Eating as a Fruit

Amount Of Protein In A Banana

We all know that protein is an essential nutrient when it comes to staying fit and maintaining a healthy weight. A single banana contains between 1.1 to 1.6 grams of protein, depending upon its size, as per USDA data. An average adult needs to consume 0.8 gm of protein per Kg of her/his body weight, according to most reputed nutrition organizations. This means that merely eating bananas may not meet your Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein every day. You may want to pair bananas with other protein-rich foods, to meet your RDA. Moreover, bananas don't have the complete proteins with all the amino acids in them. However, they are good for daily consumption as a 100 gm serving of banana contains zero cholesterol and a mere 0.1 gm saturated fatty acids.Also Read: Is It Safe To Have Banana During Night? Here's The Answer

Health Benefits Of Bananas

Bananas have a number of health benefits, which makes them ideal candidates for a healthy diet. Here are some of them:

1. High-Fibre Content: Bananas are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre keeps you satiated and full for longer, eliminating the need to eat more often.

2. Boosts Digestion: Bananas are good for the digestive system. According to Ayurveda, bananas fuel the digestive fire or agni and stimulate release of digestive juices.

3. Regulates Blood Sugar: The high levels of soluble fibre in bananas, helps in regulating blood sugar levels by releasing sugar slowly in the blood.

4. Boosts kidney health: The high levels of potassium in bananas helps in regulating heartbeat, keeps the blood pressure at optimum levels and also keeps the brain alert.
 

^{Protein in banana: Eating bananas keeps blood sugar levels under check}

5. Helps prevent anaemia: According to USDA data, a 100 gm serving of banana contains 0.3 mg of iron. This iron is also easily assimilated by the body, preventing a deficiency in this very vital mineral.

Also Read: Banana Flower or Kele Ka Phool: How to Cook this Marvelous Vegetable

6. Boosts energy: Banana is a great energy booster. According to the book 'Healing Foods' by DK Publishing, the fruit contains both quick-release glucose and slow-release fructose, so it supplies energy in two ways."

7. Promotes heart health: According to 'Healing Foods', bananas are good for cardiovascular health, due to presence of potassium and fibre, which helps in reducing risk of stroke and heart diseases.

8. Rich in antioxidants: Ripe banana flesh is rich in antioxidants, as is the skin. 'Healing Foods' recommends consuming ripe bananas, along with its skin to reap the maximum benefits from the fruit.

9. Regulates bowel movements: Bananas are used as an effective home remedy to relieve constipation and regularise bowel movements. This is due to the presence of high-fibre content in the fruit.

10. Promotes bone health: Bananas are good for the bones as well. The potassium present in the fruit slows down calcium loss in the urine. Bananas also promote gut health, which is key for absorption of calcium from the blood.Also Read: How To Ripen Bananas; 4 Simple And Handy Tips

Bananas can be used as ingredients in a number of dishes of varied textures, tastes and flavours. So adding them to your daily diet isn't too much of a brain teaser. Just cut up a few pieces of ripe bananas and add them to your bowl of cereal or porridge. Alternatively, you can freeze them and blend the frozen bananas to get creamy and thick natural banana ice-cream!