3 most common uses for banana flakes (+recipe)

Description

From simple to exotic, Z Natural Foods takes pride in bringing our customers a wide range of the most nourishing foods on earth in the most versatile form, and our banana flakes are no exception. 

With a deliciously sweet taste and beautiful ripe yellow color, banana flakes contain a simplicity of nutrients that nourish the body. 

When a food powder or flakes are created, the process of removing the water (air-dry or freeze-dried) produces a shelf-stable, highly nutritious end-product that creates exceptional versatility. 

While it is true that a powder, or in this case, flakes, is not the same as eating a fresh banana, its nutrient density and versatility are considered several of its many positive attributes. 

These attributes are critical when considering the most appropriate ways to use them.  

Banana flakes have a wide range of uses in the functional food market, and today, we are going to discuss what we consider to be three of the best ways to use this delicious functional food.  

1. Improves flavor and texture profile

Two factors most people consider essential when consuming food are taste and texture. 

Let's face it; no one wants to eat something that tastes terrible or has an unappealing texture. 

An excellent example is the rebirth of how popular oats have become with the reinvention of overnight oats. Eating a hot bowl of porridge (while warming and nourishing) has a mushy consistency and bland flavor. But overnight oats are prepared in a way that gives you all the nourishing benefits with a great texture, taste, and character. 

When used correctly, changing the flavor and texture of a food or dish is where banana flakes can really shine. 

Adding it to any dessert or smoothie by sprinkling a heaping tablespoon on top instantly supports a well-balanced flavor profile. 

While banana flakes' mildly sweet flavor may enhance a bland or unappealing food or recipe, they also have the ability to bring balance to an aggressive one, such as something bitter or tart. 

Its perfectly balanced natural mild sweetness provides your palate with just enough, but not too much. In simple terms, banana flakes can enhance or tone down almost anything you add it to. 

Banana flakes offer several unique aspects to how they help with texture. First is that banana flakes are a great substitute as a thickening agent. The gelatinous nature (due to their pectin and soluble fiber content) of banana flakes makes them a perfect addition to milkshakes, smoothies, puddings, or anything you want to create a thicker consistency for.   

Next, like many of us, when you think back to your childhood, you may have a fond memory of sweet treats made by your grandma. 

Once you entered her home, the smell of freshly baked cookies hit your nose like an angry, aggressive rhino. After giving her a big hug and kiss, you ran straight for the cookie jar, and when you pulled a cookie out, it was a sight of perfection. You took that first bite, and you knew life could not get any better at that moment. Of course, it was delicious because it was made with love, but the palate-pleasing crunch from that perfectly golden brown cookie put a smile on your face. With every chew and crunch, your mouth was salivating and wanting more. Banana flakes are a simple way to aggressively change the texture of any dish that is missing the essential crunch appeal. 

A unique benefit to adding the crunch factor is that it reminds you to slow your eating and chew your food well. Often times when we blend and drink our food, we gulp it down fast. The simple addition of the banana flakes on top will remind you to take your time and chew your food. Chewing our food well is perhaps one of the most important things we can do for our health. One of the great benefits is that our body feels satiated from less food when we slow down, take our time, and enjoy our food. 

It is generally well-accepted that the act of mastication (chewing) promotes satiety through the release of specific hormones. As the number of chews per bite increases, so does the amount of satiety hormone released in the gut. An article titled Effects of Chewing on Appetite, food intake, and gut hormones: A systemic review and Meta-analysis showed the following. 

• Five of the sixteen experiments found a significance of how properly chewing positively affects satiety.  
• Ten of the sixteen experiments found that properly chewing food positively affects food intake.
• Three of five studies showed that increasing the number of chews per bite increases relevant gut hormones related to satiety. 

It was concluded that evidence suggests that adequately chewing your food (increasing the number of chews per bite) may decrease self-reported hunger and food intake. 

2. Emergency Food Storage

In our current times, with more extreme weather events, the possibility of being trapped in the middle of nowhere, and being without modern conveniences, being prepared and more self-sufficient is a good idea. 

One of the simple ways to be more self-sufficient is to create an emergency food storage box for your car or home. 

While a long list of items like batteries, water, and medical supplies are considered vital, highly nourishing foods with a long shelf life are essential. There is no denying that nothing beats fresh, wholesome foods, but unfortunately, they do have some pitfalls. 

The biggest pitfall is that fresh foods don’t have a long shelf life and can quickly lose nutritional value. Storing fresh food at the appropriate temperature is also an equally important issue. We understand that you want something easy to use, highly nourishing, and a simple solution to what otherwise may be a complex issue. Therefore, banana flakes are a must-have because they provide greater versatility in several areas regarding food survival kits. 

• First, they don’t require water to consume them because they are in a flake form. All you need to do is throw a tablespoon in your mouth, chew, and enjoy. 
• Powders, however, would require liquids regardless of how you consume them. As mentioned earlier, when you chew your food, it can create a feeling of being satiated. This can be life-saving in a survival situation where rationing your food may be necessary. 
• Next, unlike powders that can clump, be more temperature-sensitive, or mold into a giant solid block, which may create issues for consumption, banana flakes are more likely to keep well in a broader range of temperatures.    

For more information about all of our Emergency Supply foods, go here:

Emergency Food Storage

3. Glycogen replenishment

Whether you are an athlete or live in a place with unforgiving weather, it is not uncommon for you to work harder and deplete your glycogen storage. 

Glycogen is a polysaccharide that forms glucose and is deposited into the body as a stored form of carbohydrates. It is primarily used to help your liver regulate blood sugar. It also helps with muscle activity because your liver breaks down glycogen to maintain blood glucose as your working muscles use it for energy. 

Stored glycogen is the excess glucose not needed immediately and is stored in the liver and muscle cells for later use. However, after 12-24 hours of fasting, liver glycogen storage is almost entirely depleted. 

The amount of glycogen stored in your liver varies depending on certain factors: 

• How much carbohydrates do you consume
• The length of time between your meals
• The intensity and duration of physical activity

In the end, banana flakes are an easy solution to help restore depleted glycogen levels as they provide a quick and easily digestible source of carbohydrates.  

In conclusion, banana flakes are an outstanding essential functional food that provides tremendous versatility and has a limitless number of important uses. 

So, whether you are looking for a clean and natural flavor and texture enhancer, an addition to your emergency food storage supply, or a quick way to replenish glycogen storage, banana flakes are your all-in-one solution.

[Recipe] Rice pudding topped with banana flakes 

Rice pudding is creamy with the perfect texture and sweetness. You only need a handful of ingredients and a little patience to make this old-time favorite dessert.

Whether you choose something traditional or with a twist, our twist in this recipe is using organic banana flakes for more Vitamin C, and fiber, and to give a crunchy topping to the recipe.

This recipe is very simple, pick the nuts of your choice, add your favorite spices, and sweeten as desired. You can use organic coconut palm sugar instead of white sugar if you don’t mind the recipe having a darker color.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup whole milk powder
2. 6 cups water
3. ¾ cup rice
4. ½ cup sugar or organic coconut palm sugar
5. ¼ cup chopped organic raw almonds
6. ¼ tsp organic cardamom powder
7. ½ cup organic banana flakes 

Directions:

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for 1 hour.
2. In a large saucepan, add whole milk powder and water, and whisk well so there are no lumps left. Bring this to a boil on medium-high heat. 
3. Stir in rice and sugar and reduce the heat to low. Be sure to adjust the heat so that it is at a gentle simmer. 
4. Stirring occasionally, cook for 50 to 60 minutes. The mixture should thicken until it’s a close consistency to that of yogurt.
5. Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in chopped almonds and cardamom powder.
6. Let it cool at room temperature and then refrigerate. 
7. Add ½ cup of banana flakes, mix into the pudding or keep on top before serving (add ½ cup milk to the pudding before adding the banana flakes if it thickens too much).
8. Enjoy !!