Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - February 18, 2007
This week's features include:
Food - Banana
Recipe - Peanut butter and banana pudding
Activity - Bowling
History
The edible banana and the plantain commonly seen on the market have a long history. The banana, which is the forth-largest fruit crop in the world, originated in the Indo-Malaysian region and was exported to Europe in the 10th century. Bananas and plantains are commonly found in Latin America (65%), Southeast Asia (27%), and Africa (7%), which make up the worlds production of 28 million tons yearly. One fifth of this production is transported to Europe, Canada, the U.S., and Japan as fresh fruit.
Banana Facts
The banana plant is often erroneously referred to as a "tree", although it is a large herb with juicy stem that reaches the height of 20 to 25 ft (6-7.5 m). The fruit is technically a berry that obtains a deep-green to yellow, red, or white striped color. Its size can range from 2 1/2 to 12 inches (6.4-30 cm) in length and 3/4 to 2 inches (1.9-5 cm) in width. The flesh can be white, yellow, and salmon-yellow, and have a firm, astringent to soft and mellow texture.
The edible bananas are grown in tropical areas with an ideal temperature averaging 80°F and a mean rainfall of 4 inches per month. The bananas should be protected from wind, due to the detrimental effect of shredding leaves, interfering with metabolism and twisting and distortion of the crown.
After 70-80 days cutters, who use curved knives to cut down the 75% matured fruits, harvest the bananas. This is done once the top bananas are turning light green and the flower remnants at the tips of the bananas are easily rubbed off. The cutters must leave a stalk of 6 to 9 inches on the bunch for carrying. Once harvested, the fruits cannot be exposed to light to prevent the ripening process. The bunch weight is on average 110 lbs for 363 fruits, or the same weight for 150 to 200 fruits depending on the fruit size.
There are very many different kinds of bananas. Some common names are 'Sucrier', 'Lady Finger', 'Gros Michel', 'Dwarf Cavendish', 'Giant Cavendish', 'Pisang masak hijau', 'Robusta', 'Valery', 'Bluggoe', 'Ice Cream', 'Mysore'. Many have sub-names, and others are named differently depending on the region of growth.
Nutrition Facts
Medium 7-inch Banana (Ripe): Calories 105, Protein 1 g, Fat 0 g, Carbohydrates 27 g, Fiber 3.1 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 1 mg, potassium 422 mg
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, peeled and cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
- 1/4 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into serving dishes and chill.
Nutrition Information (Serving Size -1/2 of recipe) - Calories 275, Total Fat 16g, Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 195 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24g. Protein 12g
Are you sick of the cold weather and being cooped up in the house? Why not challenge your family or friends to a game of bowling? Believe it or not, bowling is a great physical activity that can actually help you burn off some excess calories...just as long as you don't eat a burger and fries in between strikes! In fact, bowling fitness expert Dr. Jeff Briggs says that if a person were to bowl for 1 hour straight without sitting down or eating, they would burn anywhere from 288 to 450 calories! A study reported in California Bowling News says that on average, a person can burn approximately 100 calories in only 20 minutes of bowling!
The great thing about bowling is that it is a fun activity for all ages, and you don't have to be a pro to have a good time. So round up the kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and find the nearest bowling alley near you. You'll see that it's a fun way to work off some calories!
Adapted from Bowling Digest http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0FCK/3_20/88575242/p1/article.jhtml