Go Green with Banana Flour: Why Your Gut Needs This Resistant Starch!
If you don’t already know about the health benefits of green banana flour, you are at the right place. This latest superfood is free of gluten that boosts the process of weight loss and at the same time improves the health of the gut- No doubt people are going bananas over it.
What Is Green Banana Flour?
Firstly, peel off the fruit, slice it and dry it and then grind it into a powder. The baking ingredient is more popular in areas where green bananas grow like in Africa and Caribbean. Moreover, it is cheaper than wheat flour.
Green banana is famous in the U.S. Among people who have Celiac disease or those who want a gluten free diet. Green banana flour is enjoyed by people not only as a replacement of wheat flour but also for thickening in sauces and soups and coating veggies and meat.
Health Benefits of Green Banana Flour
It is very appealing to gluten free eaters. But apart from that it is a great source of resistant starch [1]. There are some enzymes present in the small intestine which convert starch to sugar. However, resistant starch- as the name suggests- can’t be digested. So, this undigested starch goes to the colon where it acts as a prebiotic which is food for good gut bacteria. According to a study [2] conducted in 2012 and published in “The Journal of Nutrition,” apart from strengthening the gut, resistant starch reduces insulin resistance. Another study [3] published in The Nutrition Journal in October 2015 says it burns fat and also gives you a feeling of satiety or fullness as per a study [4] published in The British Journal of Nutrition.
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Not only is Green Banana known for its resistant starch benefits, it is also a rich source of essential minerals and vitamins including zinc, manganese, magnesium, vitamin E. These are also laden with potassium. You will be surprised to know that two tablespoons of green banana flour have potassium equivalent to seven bananas.
Recipes for Green Banana Flour
So how can you incorporate green banana flour in your diet? There are so many mouth-watering recipes which make use of green bananas and you can easily find them over the internet. You name it and there is a recipe- green banana flour muffins, pancakes, bread, cookies, tortillas, and even biscuits. And if you are wondering how it tastes- let us tell you that it tastes nothing like bananas. The flavor is in fact very subtle which can be removed entirely by baking.
When you are substituting wheat flour with banana flour, less is more. If generally one cup of wheat flour is required, you would need 1/2 to 3/4 cup of banana flour.
So, once you understand how to use banana flour for cooking, you will not know that there are numerous ways to harness the health benefits of the superfood through various recipes. So why don’t you give it a shot?
