Bananas?

[Sookeh]

DD (4) loves them and has one a day with her breakfast. A friend told me this morning that that is way too much and she should really only have them once a week as a treat.

I've never heard this before but I'm worried now as bananas are one of the few fruits she will eat.

Any help would be appreciated, is she eating too many?

I don't think that's true. You're not supposed to have more than one banana a day because of the potassium levels, but 1small banana a day is surely good for you?

Well, that's a new one on me! They are more starchy than other fruits and quite high in calories, but that's hardly a reason to cut down to one a week. Still better than a biscuit.

Did she say why?

What a load of old rubbish your friend talks. It's true that if anyone guzzles masses of bananas they can give themselves an upset stomach but one a day is hardly excessive.

sorry its the daily mail! www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-115708/Are-bananas-bad-health.html - says bananas are fine btw

She said because they'll rot her teeth and they're too high in calories.

I'm glad she's not eating too much, Apples and Bananas are her favourite things on earth

I'd be absolutely delighted if DD would eat a banana (or any fruit) every day.

Children need calories and bananas aren't about to make your child fat or rot her teeth (your friend is talking rubbish!). They're about the best thing you could give your child for breakfast - perfect fuel for an active 4 yr old.

People need calories!! Yes if someone is overweight, watching calories should help. but if your DD is a healthy size/weight then you're doing it right. Much better than being lethargic due to not having enough energy to move.

Oh what rubbish! One a day is fine.

What a load of bollocks! No 4 year old should be on a diet so restricted in calories that they should only get one banana a week. I mean, wtf? Children need way more calories in proportion to their body size than adults, anyway - obviously you can overdo it if they're having loads of junk, but with a daily banana? Rubbish. My daughter's been having one most days ever since she's been properly on solids, has perfect teeth and is 50th centile for both height and weight.

My DS1 (22 months) ate 3 bananas today, 4 yesterday.....he's fine. He's eating like a horse, growth spurt.....she's talking tosh.

Kids need calories.

Bananas are great.

Your friend is a fruitloop.

The main kinds of fruit that have potential to rot teeth are the more acidic ones, but regular brushing quickly fixes that problem. If she's worried about calories for a 4yo it either means she thinks your child is fat or she has a few unhealthy issues of her own around eating.

Lol. Too many calories for what exactly?? Bananas are fine, your friend is wrong.

DDs consultant recommends a banana just before bedtime as they contain natural melatonin which helps us drop off to sleep

arf at friend being a fruitloop - a NONfruitloop surely

Utter rot. Our LO eats two a day sometimes, but also eats plenty of other fruits ? she?ll eat an small punnet of cherries, pear, nectarine, two plums and a banana maybe two in a day plus dried fruit with porridge. She's 22 MO. Fruit certainly doesn?t seem to cause her any problems. It s not true that it?s bad for your teeth either. It's sipping fruit drinks that can cause tooth erosion and decay due the way sugar sits on the teeth and the way you expose your teeth to the sugar for longer periods with a drink sipped over ten minutes or so. Munching fruit down quickly will not have the same effect as sucking or sipping fruit ices/drinks over longer periods of time.

Bananas are an amazing food - convenient, very little mess, high in nutrients, a meal in their self, high in calories (which in this sense is a good thing for an active LO) and so sweet that kids think they're a real treat. I always carry one around with me whilst out with DS to stave off hunger if i know i'm not going to be near a source of food for a while! Fwiw my DS loves them too and probably has about 5 a week (and on those other two days the only reason i don't give them to him is because i don't want him getting bored of them!) Aren't they supposed to be one of the 'superfoods'? I would just be grateful you have a LO who likes fruit.

I'd be more concerned about constipation myself. If DD has more than one a day she will be bunged up And they have to be very ripe. If nothing like that, then eat away I say.

I thought it was an old wives tale that bananas were 'binding'.