Bananas are portable, low-calorie and easy to digest, making them a good food choice for almost everyone. These delicious fruits are packed with vitamins and minerals and contain no cholesterol or sodium. Whatever size of banana you choose, you're getting a healthy snack.

If you have an abundance of bananas, drying is an effective way to preserve the fruit with very little loss of nutrients.

With a per capita consumption rate that exceeds that of apples and grapes combined, bananas have long been America’s favorite fruit. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that since about 1990, the average American has consumed close to 25 pounds of bananas a year.

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While any type of fruit can serve as an important component in a healthy diet, some fruits are more beneficial than others. Bananas offer plenty of positive nutritional value per serving, but their relatively high calorie and sugar amounts mean that it might be best to enjoy them in moderation.

The health benefits of the banana are numerous. They are high in potassium, which helps us maintain normal blood pressure, and fiber, which helps prevent heart disease. Unripe bananas are green. They are safe to eat, and have most of the health benefits of the riper yellow banana.

The nutrient content of a banana changes as the banana becomes more ripe. However, the nutrient change isn't necessarily bad. Regardless of how ripe or unripe a fruit is, you still gain numerous benefits from it. For example, an overripe banana is packed with antioxidants.

Bananas are a nutritious tropical fruit suitable for eating raw or cooked. Including bananas in your diet means you take in a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, including lysine. Your body can't make lysine, so getting it through the foods you eat is critical.

Bananas provide many nutrients that are essential for good health. They are relatively low in calories -- providing about 121 per large banana -- and high in fiber, in addition to offering several vitamins and minerals. Banana fruit can be eaten plain or sliced and served in sandwiches, fruit cups, custards and salads.

Bananas are the most popular fresh fruit consumed in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are inexpensive, convenient to consume and widely available year-round. Often referred to as a "super-food," the banana is packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Bananas can be perfectly ripe when they have brown spots on the skin and can even still be used when the skin has turned black from being stored in the refrigerator. Brown spots on banana skin occur when membranes in the skin cells get weak and leak.

Banana milkshakes seem like a sweet, indulgent treat, but when made with healthy ingredients, they provide essential nutrients. Use skim milk and frozen bananas to make an icy cold, thick milkshake in your blender without a lot of fat and calories. Add plain yogurt or fat-free frozen yogurt for extra thickness.