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Original poster

Are bananas actually bad for you?

102 replies

LadyEv · 21/10/2021 18:07

My partner's parents dropped in on us this morning while my daughter was having a banana for breakfast, which I guess is what prompted my partner's mum to tell us that in a bid to lose weight she'd banned bananas. I replied 'I didn't realise bananas were that fattening?' she said 'Well they're fruit and there's sugar in fruit.' she went on to tell me that brown bananas have more sugar in them. A bit of googling suggests she might be right about that one. Obviously I know that fruit has sugar in it. But even so surely Bananas are good for you? I think they are filling and delicious. Surely a 100 calories of banana is better for you than 100 calories of crisps or bread? Are bananas really that bad? My reasoning says not but then again I used to think fruit juice was good for me.

OP posts:
FleasInMyKnees · 21/10/2021 18:36

They are good enough for tennis players so good enough for me but like with everything too many are not good for you with the sugar and potassium.

SeasonalNamechange · 21/10/2021 18:36

@foxgoosefinch

Eh? Bananas are fine! Potassium, fibre, natural sugars. If I’m on a low carb low sugar diet I don’t eat them, but I’m an overweight middle aged mum and your DC presumably isn’t on a diet. Carry on and ignore MIL!
MIL didnt say dc shouldn't eat them just that she had banned HERSELF from eating them. She didnt say op or dc should stop

she didnt say anything wrong or untrue!

Row1n · 21/10/2021 18:37

You have to be careful with fruits with diabetes, but if you don't have diabetes then you can snack on fruit happily

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madisonbridges · 21/10/2021 18:40

To be fair on the ops mil she didn't state that bananas are bad for you, (at least the opening post doesn't say that she said that), she said she wanted to lose weight so had cut out bananas because ripe ones can be high in sugar. All of that is perfectly true. It's not that bananas are bad, more like they're not the best fruit to eat on a diet.
For people not dieting and without certain health problems, official advice is to eat them in moderation which for an adult is one or two a day dependent on size.

liveforsummer · 21/10/2021 18:45

I remember someone telling me once that feeding your child a banana was the same as giving them a can of full fat coke. Wtf! 😆. People have really odd understanding of nutrition. Yes if you're on a diet you might want to limit them to a small amount a day, take them in to account if you are measuring calories - same as any other food that isn't celery. Bananas also come with significant health benefits and nutritional value and the fibre in whole fruit limits the effect the sugars have on blood sugars. It's a fab snack for a child - in moderation - but that goes for anything (except celery)

Tavelo · 21/10/2021 18:46

They are high in sugar but you do actually need some sugar, especially for your brain. Problem is we eat too much when in the form of sweets and more processed food. A banana is a better source of sugar as well as vitamins and potassium. It's also high in fibre which makes you feel fuller for longer than snacks made from wheat etc.

Rosesareyellow · 21/10/2021 18:46

Well one banana is around 100 calories - more if it’s a big one obviously. But that’s good for a snack, especially a nutritious one. Was she previously eating 10 a day? Otherwise I don’t get it. A banana is really filling for a fruit so it’s great diet food.
You don’t digest all the sugars in whole fruit, it’s not like a juice. It’s irrelevant that fruit has natural sugar in it.

Inanun2 · 21/10/2021 18:47

No one is fat from eating too many bananas no matter how much natural sugar there is in them !

Inanun2 · 21/10/2021 18:48

Does she go to Slimming World by any chance ?

2typesofjungle · 21/10/2021 18:53

I will never forget a 'slimming world' person trying to convince me that if I mash my banana on to toast in the morning for my breakfast that it was worse for me than eating a banana and a slice of toast separately- bonkers. What do slimming world think happens to a banana when you mash it? Does it turn in to ghee?

Crunchymum · 21/10/2021 18:53

Bananas are quite carb heavy.

I was told the avoid them when I had G.D (don't like them anyway)

I know a few T1 who avoid them too.

Palavah · 21/10/2021 18:54

I hope that conversation didn't take place in earshot of your daughter.

Original poster
LadyEv · 21/10/2021 18:58

@Inanun2

Does she go to Slimming World by any chance ?
She used to do many years ago, she hasn't been recently but still follows some of their teachings. Which to me seems all about losing weight quickly rather than by following and maintaining a healthy diet.
OP posts:
Original poster
LadyEv · 21/10/2021 19:01

@2typesofjungle

I will never forget a 'slimming world' person trying to convince me that if I mash my banana on to toast in the morning for my breakfast that it was worse for me than eating a banana and a slice of toast separately- bonkers. What do slimming world think happens to a banana when you mash it? Does it turn in to ghee?
She's mentioned something similar to this before about how mashed bananas have more calories in them than whole bananas? But to me that doesn't make any sense because surely they get mashed up in your mouth when you chew them anyway?
OP posts:
TurnUpTurnip · 21/10/2021 19:01

Tbf I thought it was common knowledge that bananas weren’t the best fruit if you are dieting, I follow certain diets and lots say to avoid them if dieting

liveforsummer · 21/10/2021 19:01

I look after a child with T1 diabetes. With banana I simply add it in to her carb count. They are a good fruit as despite being high in carbs they are very nutritionally dense. Even half a banana gives loads of benefits and are filling so a small amount can contribute to part of a meal

liveforsummer · 21/10/2021 19:03

She's mentioned something similar to this before about how mashed bananas have more calories in them than whole bananas? But to me that doesn't make any sense because surely they get mashed up in your mouth when you chew them anyway?

Juicing fruits breaks down the fibre and doesn't make the calories higher but means it impacts more on blood sugar - thats true however mashing a banana with a fork (or your teeth) is not akin to juicing one

silveryslade · 21/10/2021 19:04

But if your daughter is a healthy weight and growing well, they are good for the vitamins, potassium and fibre in them. Let's face, it if someone were underweight they would be looking at a different diet being healthy for them than someone who was overweight. Someone who is still growing has different needs to someone who is menopausal.

butterflyze · 21/10/2021 19:08

@Neonplant

People believe all sorts of stupid shit about food. Especially on here most of the time! No bananas are not bad for you. People who talk about fruit being full of sugar like they are mars bars are idiots.
Fruit does have a lot of sugar in it (as fructose), and the only difference between fruit and confectionery is that fruit has a greater nutritional value because of all the other things in it as well.

So if you were going to eat one or the other as a snack, then go for the fruit. If you are having to watch your carbohydrate intake for health reasons, you shouldn't really be eating either.

madisonbridges · 21/10/2021 19:12

I've just been diagnosed with diabetes and have been advised to get some weight off fast using a low carb diet. There are quite a few fruits I've been advised against eating because of the effect thet have on my blood sugar.

Original poster
LadyEv · 21/10/2021 19:13

@Palavah

I hope that conversation didn't take place in earshot of your daughter.
My daughter was there but as she is 18 months old I don't think she understood what was being said. But I am concerned going forward that she might pick up on some of her Grandma's funny ideas about food. I'd rather her have an everything in moderation attitude to food rather than demonising certain foods or trying to eat low fat or sugar free versions of things in a misguided attempt to be healthy. Because at the end of the day a chocolate biscuit is still a chocolate biscuit whether or not it's low in fat. And we shouldn't be kidding our self it's okay to eat loads of them just because they've been marketed in a certain way.
OP posts:
Kdubs1981 · 21/10/2021 19:18

Is your child on a diet?

If not, this is irrelevant. And bonkers

Gingernaut · 21/10/2021 19:19

Like all things, everything in moderation.

Couldn't resist. I'm nerdy that way.

GoIntoTheLight · 21/10/2021 19:25

I thought this was going to be about bananas being radioactive! (They are)

Banana calories…meh.

SickAndTiredAgain · 21/10/2021 19:29

People are weird about food. Sugar in fruit isn’t the work of the devil. Obviously don’t live on it, be aware of the effect on your teeth etc, but for an otherwise healthy person to think fruit is too unhealthy to have in moderation is bizarre. Fruit is a perfectly normal and reasonable part of a healthy diet when looked at as a whole.

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