Why You Need Banana Milk
With increasing rates of food allergies (including dairy milk), many milk lovers seek an alternative that can give the creaminess of milk with no potential for allergy. At your local food store or coffee shop, you must have noticed the influx of milk gotten from non-conventional ingredients like nuts, soy, oats, and even peas. Now, here comes a new type of milk derived from yet another surprising source: bananas.
Like other milk forebears, banana milk offers some non-allergenic option for people who can’t tolerate dairy. Unlike some nut options, banana is not burdened with durability issues like too much water usage in its production. Banana milk does taste like bananas, which some individuals may find a turnoff. But even when you do not always yearn for banana flavor on your morning cereal, you can enjoy its smooth texture in other food, like baked goods or smoothies.
Of course, you may not get the same probiotics or protein from banana milk that you’d get in dairy milk, but for a unique, healthy, plant-based alternative, it may worth giving a try.
The Two Ingredients of Banana Milk
Have you guessed the 2 ingredients of banana milk? Bananas and water. I knew you would be surprised! I came across this milk alternative a while ago but thought not to bother posting such an easy recipe that almost everyone could find out. But then, one beautiful morning, I woke up, poured myself a moderate bowl of cereal, only to find out that I was out of soy milk. Heartbroken momentarily, my initiative quickly remembered banana milk! So I whipped up a bunch, added a pinch of cinnamon for some extra flavor, and poured it upon my cereal. The dish happened to be the most delicious cereal bowl ever!!!!
Speaking, it is milk from the pulp of a banana. Very easy to make, banana milk requires a finely sliced banana and a cup of water. If you like some flavor, a pinch of cinnamon can do the magic massively well. Put all the very vital ingredients together in a blender, and blend until you get a smooth milky solution.
What Are the Benefits of Banana Milk?
Logistically, the ingredients of banana milk are cheap, easy to make, and the milk itself is readily available. This is a total contrast to other vegan milk. Also, banana milk possesses a lot of health benefits of the banana. It is one of the most fantastic sources of potassium (K), which boosts cardiac health, and replenishes electrolytes. It also has vitamin C and vitamin B6, both vital for nutrition. Banana milk is richer in fiber than other vegan milk, thus aiding digestion. Despite their sweetness, they are on the lower end of the glycemic index, so taking a glass a day is recommended for good health.
Nutrition Facts
The USDA, as of January 2020, does not have nutrition information for banana milk. Nutrients may differ from brand to brand, so you should check the label on any banana milk you have bought for the most detailed information. The nutrition facts below are for 1 cup of a brand of banana milk.
Banana Milk Nutrition Facts
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 15mg
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrates: 9g
Fiber: 1g
Calories: 60
Sugars: 4g
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Carbohydrate
All banana milk carbohydrates come from the naturally occurring fiber, starches, and sugar, in bananas, and a few amount of carbohydrates from sunflower seeds. These kinds of carbohydrates are neither processed nor added but are natural. Fibers are a complex carbohydrate that can help to regulate blood sugar and appetite. If you wish to cut it down on your carbohydrate intake, banana milk might be a better choice than conventional dairy milk since it contains 9grams per cup, compared to other dairy milk’s 12grams.
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Fats
Because the two primary ingredients (bananas and water) are fat-free. Any small amount of fat it might contain is supplemented by sunflower seed oil and is mostly the unsaturated and healthier variety. A cup of banana milk has no traceable saturated fat and no trans-fats, often associated with heart disease, cancer, and diabetes type 2.
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Protein
Banana milk does not contain much protein, at just 1 gram per cup of it, so you should not expect it to add much protein to your daily requirement. The protein in banana milk, when compared to the 8 grams of the protein found in neither soy milk nor cow, this is extremely low.
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Vitamins and Minerals
When you think of the nutrients found in bananas, you should probably think of potassium (K). Like the banana fruit, banana milk also does supply a significant amount of this same potassium. A one-cup serving of the milk provides about 360 milligrams of potassium or up to 10% of your daily potassium requirement. But its nutrients don’t stop there. Bananas are also naturally endowed with vitamin B6, which aids the immune and nervous systems’ normal functioning. The milk is mostly fortified with calcium. A single serving of original, well-prepared flavored banana milk knocks out 30 percent of your daily value.
Let me take me you through the wide but summarized health benefits of taking banana milk. If you are so sure you wish to be healthy, just go through the points below?
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Weight Loss
According to a Milwaukee Journal’s report, a banana milk diet can help you reduce weight in four weeks. To follow the diet, you have to blend about four to six bananas and take up to three to four glasses of the milk every day for two weeks. In the succeeding two weeks, you would eat fish, lean meat, vegetables, and eggs (all with no fat or carbohydrates).
2. Alternative for Dairy Milk Allergy
For many people, banana milk is a wonderful alternative when nut and dairy allergies limit their milk options. Bananas are not included among the “top eight” allergy-related foods that account for 90 percent of food allergies in the USA. So their chances of causing allergy are very slim. However, should you be allergic to sunflower seeds, you should also avoid branded banana milk as most companies include sunflower seed oil during production.
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Low in Calories
A cupful of skim milk provides you 70-90 calories, while in contrast, an average banana has about 80-100 calories. The calorie count after taking banana milk made from five bananas sums up to around 400-500 calories.
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Rich in Nutrients
Bananas provide a variety of minerals and vitamins. Besides, banana is very high in dietary potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, sugar, and Vitamin B6. You rest assured to get all these beneficial nutrients in adequate amounts for your body’s optimum vitality and normal functioning.
5. Compatible with Vegan Diet
If you are vegan, then you are lucky. In the most basic form, banana milk is produced from just bananas and water, but even most commercial preparations are entirely free of animal products. (Always read labels to find out more about contents).
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Get Rid of Toxins
Bananas are a wonderful source of dietary fiber. Banana milk invariably plays a vital role in getting rid of accumulated toxins in the body (detoxification). Moreover, fiber-rich diets such as banana have also been tied to reduce the risk of coronary diabetes and heart diseases.
7. Aids Blood Pressure Reduction
Our body needs potassium (K) to perform a lot of vital functions, and getting an adequate quantity each day can help lower blood pressure, avert kidney stones, and aid bone health. A cup of Banana milk may only offer 10% (360 mg) of your daily body requirement, but every little bit of it counts.
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Keeps You Satiated
It is only if you can control hunger that you would be able to reach your goals and lose weight. Loaded with fiber, the banana milk diet keeps you filled for quite a long period and renders you a satiated feeling.
To Make Banana Milk
Fetch some wholesome bananas. The riper your banana, the sweeter the milk will be, so I always love going for super spotty bananas.
Peel your bananas (you ought to know this), and add them to the blender alongside the water. You could also add some vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, or other flourishes of your choice.
Blend until creamy and smooth. Use less water for thicker banana milk. Use more water for thinner milk. That’s it. Enjoy your milk!
