By Samkelo Biyela and Enzokuhle Sabela
Bananas are your go-to source for a productive workday if you’re into sports or are busy and need quick energy.
High in potassium fibre and other key vitamins, the enthralling delight of bananas hides in plain sight. Depending on where you are, where you live, or even where you are from, this nutritional fruit has many variations and names. They include plantains, fehi and bluggoe and guineo, which is derived from Guinea, the West African country that is said to be one of the ancestral homes of bananas.
Through the Durban University of Technology (DUT) inter-faculty project that explores the culinary world and the food journalism field, we looked into the nutritional value of bananas and how different people consume the fruit.
The DUT Biotechnology and Food Science students we partnered with, Deliwe Hadebe and Andiswa Msibi, brought a decadent banana recipe to life as part of the collaboration.
They prepared a delicious green banana muffin with a touch of chocolate flavour. In their ingredients, they mixed unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, salt, baking powder, mashed banana, peanut butter, vanilla essence and a touch of dark chocolate for a delicious topping.
Many sports enthusiasts consider bananas a superfood, which is why they often include it in their weekly shopping basket.
AmaZulu Football Club team doctor Joshua Smith said bananas are rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates and potassium, which are important for physical performance and muscle growth.
“It is preferable for bananas to be eaten normally, but they can be added to protein powder or put into a smoothie. Alternatively, banana bread can be made and they can still be enjoyed like that, but you have to be careful how this is prepared,” he advised.
Rhodes University rugby player Yaya Potelwa said he eats bananas before and after gym
sessions to aid muscle recovery and prevent muscle cramps.
“I wish I knew how helpful bananas were when I was still playing rugby in high school. I wouldn’t have struggled with cramps as much as I did. Fruits were the last thing on my mind.”
Gym enthusiast Ntando Mpuqa said bananas give him a lot of energy throughout the day and through his gym sessions.
He said: “As a busy student and someone who goes to gym regularly, I live on bananas. They keep the cramps away and they keep me full.”
