Healthy snacks: the best time to eat bananas

We believe ANY time of the day is a great time to snack on a banana! But if you’re wondering about banana ripeness or how bananas can affect your daily diet or exercise routine, then read on…

What’s the best stage of ripeness

Everyone loves a healthy sweet snack. So what’s the best stage of ripeness to eat a banana? A lot depends on your personal tastes and nutritional needs. Everyone knows, less ripe bananas have a milder, fresher taste and they get sweeter as they ripen.

The change in sweetness is due to the resistant starch in the banana breaking down into natural simple sugars. The riper the banana, the more sugars it will have. So if you have a sweet tooth, a great healthy sweet snack is a riper more yellow banana – even one with brown spots!

If you’re looking for low calorie snacks, a less ripe (greener) banana will be a better choice because the resistant starch helps to keep you feeling full for longer. And if you’re diabetic, you CAN eat bananas – in moderation –  as long as you properly account for their carbohydrate content.

Ah, so what to do with overripe bananas? Every now and again a banana may be forgotten, left to turn brown at the bottom of the fruit bowl. These brown beauties are actually perfect for baking (like banana bread of course!) or used in a delicious healthy smoothie. Check out our treasure trove of banana recipes here.

Best time of day to eat bananas?

Bananas are not only one of the best superfoods, they’re perfect for any time of the day. Check out all the possibilities below…

Bananas are a healthy breakfast

Looking for breakfast ideas? Bananas make a fantastic healthy breakfast alone, as a breakfast smoothie, or sliced on granola or oatmeal. The possibilities are endless! The resistant starch and natural sugars in bananas work together to provide energy steadily throughout the morning. They’re also bursting with vitamins and minerals, and if you’re on a low calorie diet, eating bananas in the morning will help keep those mid-morning cravings at bay.

Bananas make great workout snacks

Ever wondered what to eat before running? Bananas of course! Bananas are the best workout snacks. Endurance athletes and fitness experts swear by the benefits of bananas because of their high carb content, medium GI and source of fiber. Experts recommend a less-ripe banana before an endurance event and a very ripe banana for a quicker boost of energy. Bananas are truly the best pre workout snack and post workout snack, and super convenient too!

Bananas are healthy snacks for kids

Looking for healthy snacks for kids? You can’t beat the trusty banana! Kids need energy to fuel their bodies and brains throughout the school day. So a banana in their lunchboxes provides a great healthy pick-me-up. Forget about candy or other sugary treats… Bananas are a great healthy sweet snack that almost every kid loves!

Bananas after dinner

There’s nothing wrong with a banana after dinner! Bananas are one of the best low calorie snacks, and because they’re packed with fiber, they’ll keep you feeling full for longer. They also won’t cause your blood sugar to suddenly spike and drop, which can cause you to crave unhealthy sugary treats.

Bananas at bedtime

Believe it or not, there are actually good late night snacks. And you guessed it – it’s bananas! A 2012 study in the Journal of Pineal Research found that eating bananas increased melatonin levels  – the hormone that controls our sleep-wake cycle. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the body produce the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin, the precursor to melatonin. Bananas are a good late night snack and the perfect way to hit the sack!

Bananas – the great snack hero!

Bananas are truly the best healthy snack! Packed with vitamin B6, B9 C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and source of fiber… bananas are a great low calorie snack, vegan snack, kids snack, late night snack…  The benefits of bananas are truly bananas!