Few foods feel nostalgic like ice cream on a hot summer day.
Unfortunately, ice cream contains many unfavorable saturated fats and sugars. Today’s recipe will show you how to turn a fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and potassium-rich banana into your favorite sweet treat. Call it a nice cream.
In fact, the world’s largest herbal berry, banana, is one of the most popular fruits around. A 7-inch banana has only 105 calories and provides 420 milligrams of potassium. That’s 12% of what you need every day.
Potassium maintains water levels in the body and helps muscles contract and nerve cells to react. It also helps the body control blood pressure by neutralizing sodium and relaxing the walls of blood vessels. Bananas also contain 3 grams of fiber, 17% of daily vitamin C requirements, 20% of daily vitamin B6 requirements, and 8% of daily magnesium requirements.
Fresh bananas are available all year round. They ripen steadily at room temperature. You can put it in a paper bag to accelerate the aging, or put it in the refrigerator to delay the aging. The outer skin darkens, but the fruit itself ripens more slowly.
Green bananas are an excellent source of resistant starch, slowing digestion and preventing blood sugar spikes. When the banana is ripe, the starch turns into sugar. Bananas that are too ripe to eat can be peeled and stored in the freezer for later use in banana ice cream.
more:Here are some tips to reduce fat, sugar and sodium in baked goods:
more:2022 Summer Guide to Dining, Cooking and Beer in Metro Detroit
Frozen sliced bananas get a surprisingly creamy texture in a food processor. In today’s recipe, we added dark cherries and some mini chocolate chips, but you can try out your favorite add-ins and flavor combinations.
Cook’s Note: This recipe includes a splash of skim milk to keep the ice cream consistent. If you are not using vegan or dairy products, you can exclude them or use the option without dairy products such as soy or almond milk instead.
Bethany Sayre is a dietitian nutritionist registered with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, please visit henryford.com/blog. If you have any questions about today’s recipe, please email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.
Black cherry banana ice cream
make: 2 servings / Preparation time: 20 minutes / total time: 20 minutes
2 chopped bananas, frozen
¼ cup frozen dark cherry
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 tablespoon mini dark chocolate chips
In a food processor, mix frozen banana pieces, cherries, and vanilla extract. Process until creamy. Add milk and chocolate chips and process for another 30 seconds. Eat immediately. If you want a firmer ice cream, put it in a closed freezer and store it for at least an hour.
From Henry Ford Live Well.
154 calorie (From 7% thick), 1 gram thick (Less than 1 gram I sat down.thick), 36 grams carbohydrate2 grams protein11 mg sodium0 mg cholesterol21 mg calcium4 grams fiber.. Food exchange: two fruits.
