Benefits of Bananas | Possibly the World’s Most Perfect Food | Chiquita

Why are bananas one of the healthiest fruits? Because they’re virtually fat and cholesterol free making them a healthy snack option for just about everyone. Chiquita bananas are also a great source of resistant starch, particularly when they are still a little green. This starch is called “resistant” because it resists digestion: our bodies digest it extra slowly. This means far fewer calories can be extracted from a banana than from an equivalent amount of a cookie or candy. Also, if you’re on a special diet (paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, Whole30, grain-free, sugar-free, or plant-based) a Chiquita banana is a great substitute for eggs, flour or refined sugars as they are a natural sweetener.

Packed with potassium, bananas are truly one of the best superfoods. Potassium can help lower blood pressure, protect the heart, and reduce the risk of heart disease. It also helps support the nervous system and improves muscle function, enabling you to recover faster from a tough workout. The great thing about bananas is that one medium-sized banana packs a whopping 400 milligrams of potassium, nearly 10 percent of the recommended daily value.

Another benefit of bananas is that they’re crammed full of antioxidants and essential minerals such as riboflavin (vitamin B2) – which helps with cell growth, anemia, cataracts and even cracked lips. Vitamin B2 is also important in maintaining the body’s energy supply and helps us to absorb and activate essential vitamins and minerals. A banana contains 35% of your recommended daily amount of Vitamin B6, and a healthy helping of manganese, magnesium, Vitamin A, iron, and copper. Vitamins E and C are also great for our immune systems and keeping our skin looking and feeling rejuvenated. One of the best superfoods, indeed!

Vitamin C is nature’s incredible all-rounder, helping us maintain a healthy immune system. There are about 10 milligrams of Vitamin C in each banana – so we like to think of bananas as quite the hero when it comes to supporting our body’s natural defenses. Chiquita bananas are a fantastic healthy snack because they’re full of fibre – and the good kind of soluble fibre – that’s great for keeping cholesterol down and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Another great benefit of bananas is their ability to give us energy. Whenever we’re exercising, we need every energy boost we can get. As well as being power-packed with vitamins – bananas also contain simple carbohydrates, which are a great way to get a quick burst of energy plus they are a natural sweetener. Whether you’re going for a run, playing tennis or about to hit a yoga class, bananas are a great pre workout snack that are easy to digest. With bananas as an incredible source of energy, it’s no secret the running community loves Chiquita bananas. Chiquita partners with many runners and marathons around the world including the famous New York, Disney and Athens races.

Do you really know how to open a Chiquita banana?

Do you see the stem end of the banana that people always try to open, where it was cut from the plant? Well, turn your banana upside down and focus on the nubby, pointed tip at the opposite end. Pinch this between your first finger and thumb — this will split the skin of the banana cleanly, allowing you to peel it back. Easy peel-sy!

Bananas really are the ultimate fast food, as they come in their own handy packaging, which is not only tough – so they travel easily – but also compostable!