It’s official: bananas are good for you. Bananas are a good source of fibre (3 grams), magnesium (32 mg), potassium (422 mg) and B6 (0.4 mg). And since foods low in sodium and rich in potassium and magnesium can help manage normal blood pressure — incorporating bananas into an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. What’s more, this nutrient packed, fat free fruit is a great source of vitamin B6, which helps boost your immune system and assists in the formation of red blood cells.

Enjoy them plain, sliced into cereal, mixed with organic live yogurt or tossed in a fruit salad to add a starchy consistency… or, peel the skin and freeze for a yummy sugar-free (only the natural sugar), frozen dessert.  Bananas and plantains can also be used as a vegetable

Q: Are there any healthy fast food choices?

A: Whether you are watching calories, salt intake or fat, fast food restaurants are not the best place to eat a healthy meal. But there are some healthy fast food choices, and fast food restaurants are adding new, healthier menu choices every day. In general, my advice is to avoid fast food restaurants but if needs must here are some ways to make healthier fast food choices.

 

Instead of chips, whenever possible, choose a lower calorie side dish, such as a salad. Many fast food chains have added some very tasty salads to their menus.  But beware! Salads, in general, are healthy. But those added options like cheese and bacon bits and creamy salad dressings can undo all your good healthy fast food intentions. In fact, condiments and sauces, in general, add unhealthy fast food calories, so if you must have them, get them on the side and use them sparingly. This includes such items as cheese sauce, tartar sauce and gravy.  Eliminate the sour cream on the baked potato, the mayonnaise on the sandwich. Go for the veggies – extra lettuce, cucumber and tomato, onions and pickles.

 

Whole wheat is better than white bread and, generally speaking, a wrap will have fewer calories than a sandwich. Chicken nuggets are one of the most unhealthy fast food choices you can make, along with breakfast sandwiches, fried meats, fries and onion rings.

 

Another source of empty and unhealthy fast food calories is the drink. A large cola contains 310 calories!  A glass of water with a lemon wedge or two can be a refreshing option.

 

Finally, keep in mind that less is always better than more. Buy the smaller sizes, even if it means buying off the children’s menu. No super sizing! If you are fortunate enough to have someone you can share your food with, even better, since most fast food and other restaurant meals contain twice as much food (and therefore, twice as many calories) as should be consumed for a meal.

 

Although it’s always best to drive or walk past fast food restaurants if there is no other option with a little planning and a little thought, you can make healthy fast food choices regardless of where you are eating.

Q: Is there much difference in the nutritional value of frozen and fresh vegetables?

A: Much depends on how fresh the vegetables were to start with and how you cook them. ‘Fresh’ no longer means ‘just picked.’

 

If your fresh vegetables have sat at the markets, then at the greengrocer and then in your fridge before you prepare them, their vitamin levels will have already declined. And if you overcook them or hold them warm for more than 5 minutes, that further destroys some (not all) of the nutrients. It’s mostly the heat-sensitive vitamins – C and B group – that are affected. The content of minerals and fibre remains the same.

 

So frozen can be as good as fresh, sometimes even better as frozen vegetables are often frozen immediately after being picked whereas it may be days or even weeks before ‘fresh’ vegetables end up on your kitchen table ready to be eaten. Having said that, uncooked fresh vegetables – like a salad – are a potent source of vitamins and antioxidants and I often recommend a salad a day for just this reason.   I would also recommend choosing organic where possible for either fresh or frozen vegetables.