Banana: Fun Food Facts (and Recipe!)

118 grams of banana is 105 calories. 93% Carbs, 3% Fat, 4% protein

The origins of the banana are quite complex. Archaeologists have focused on the Kuk valley of New Guinea around 8,000 BC as the area where humans first domesticated the banana. Other spontaneous domestication projects may have also occurred throughout the Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.

Banana "trees" are actually the world's tallest herbaceous plant. They can reach 20 feet in height. "Herbaceous" means there is no woody stem and all the plant matter above the ground dies at the end of a yearly cycle.

There are over 1000 varieties of banana plants in the world. Though Cavendish is the most commonly traded variety on the global market. Bananas are only behind wheat, corn, and rice as the most sold agricultural crop.

While bananas are the number 1 consumed fruit in the United States, Americans only consume an average of 26.2 lbs a year, whereas the Ugandas consume an average of 500 lbs of bananas each year.

Bananas, like all fruits, are nutritionally splendid. A medium banana has just ~100 calories, yet 3 grams of fiber, 20% of the daily recommended value of magnesium, and 10% of daily recommended potassium needs. Bananas are a great source of vitamin C as well! Eating a meal of bananas after a workout, can help replenish you more effectively and cheaply than powders, bars, and potions.

Learn how to enjoy Bananas 15 different and simply delicious ways by downloading our free banana book, "15 Ways to Eat Bananas," now!