Fresh Baby: Bananas for Your Baby

After baby cereal, bananas are often the first solid food given to infants. They are easily digested, very nutritious, and taste great. Dubbed “Nature’s Wonder Fruit”, bananas are the only fruit to contain all the major vitamins: A, B1, B2, B6 and C. Bananas are also high in fiber, potassium and magnesium.

Sometimes referred to as the anti-stress, good mood vitamin, B6 is involved in the transmission of impulses in nerves and muscles and is important in making red blood cells.

Potassium is essential to mental function, brain power and nerve impulses. In fact, according to certain biochemists, new brain cells cannot be made without potassium. Bananas, one of nature’s richest sources of potassium, are also one of the easiest ways to give your body this important mineral that powers your brain and your muscles.

Age to introduce: about 6 months (pureed or mashed).

At the market: There is more to bananas than the standard yellow variety that your Mom used to buy. Most stores offer several different varieties Here is a description of some common ones:

Red bananas have a green/red peel and pink fruit flesh. They taste the same like yellow bananas. The redder a fruit, the more carotene it contains, so maybe they are healthier than their yellow colleagues.
Fruit-bananas are the normal, yellow bananas, 6-12 inches.

Apple-bananas are smaller, 3-4 inches, and ripen faster. They are also yellow. Baby-bananas are yellow as well and measure 1-3 inches. It is the sweetest of the banana family.

Baking bananas are 12-15 inches long and are green, yellow or red-like. They cannot be eaten raw. They fulfill the role of the potato in the tropical countries.

Storage and ripening: Countertop. To speed up ripening, place them in the sun. Bananas will turn black if placed in the refrigerator.

Here are a few easy ideas to add banana in your meals:

Add ripe, mashed bananas to pancake and muffin recipes.

Sliced bananas are great breakfast fruit, add them to cereal or oatmeal.

For an ultra smooth, smoothie, toss a banana in your blender with milk,
yogurt, juice and other fruit.

Add bananas to a tossed salad and try this salad dressing: Whisk together
1 finely diced jalapeño pepper, 1 teaspoon grated ginger,
1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice,
1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 cup coconut milk.

Add sliced banana circles to the middle of a layer cake. Frost and top
with strawberries.

For a quick dessert, layer sliced bananas, vanilla pudding and peaches
in a bowl, add whipped cream and a cherry on top!

Toddler Treat: Frozen Banana Pops

These frozen banana pops – with or without the chocolate – are a simple summer treat.

Ingredients:
Bananas
Popsicle sticks
Chocolate (1 ounce per banana) (optional)

Directions:
One banana makes 2 pops. Peel bananas and slice in half crosswise. Insert a Popsicle stick in the end of each piece. Place in freezer for 2 hours. They are ready to eat (unless you want to dip them in chocolate).

To dip in chocolate: Melt chocolate according the package directions. You may need to add a bit of cooking oil (1 tsp – 1 Tablespoon, depending on the amount and type of chocolate) to the chocolate to develop a good “dipping” consistency. You can also purchase chocolate that is specially designed for melting and dipping. It is often located in the baking or produce sections of a grocery store. Once the chocolate is ready, remove the frozen bananas from the freezer and dip or spoon chocolate over them. Put them back in the freezer to set. They’ll be ready in minutes.

Storage: Wrap individually in plastic. Freeze for up to 2 months.