Most types of banana can be harvested and cooked when still green, but some varieties are more commonly used for cooking.
In East Africa, most of the cooking bananas produced are the East African high-land bananas that are used in a similar way to the plantain type, and constitute the major staple food for some 20 million people in East Africa and part of Central Africa. Many traditional dishes are prepared in the region from the green to over-ripe stages.
Bananas are rich in the energy (calories) that the body needs for warmth, work and play. The energy comes from the sugars and starch in the bananas. Green bananas have higher levels of starch than sugars. As bananas ripen, the starch turns into sugars, which are more easily digested.
It has been documented that bananas are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and dietary fibers and although they contain 75% water, they also contain alkali-forming minerals, lots of potassium and little protein and fat. Additionally, the ripe bananas are easy to digest and the food of choice for many professional athletes because they provide quick energy and provide potassium lost during exercise, it has also for long been considered as the best food for babies.
The high carbohydrate content of bananas makes them a staple calorie resource for over 500 million inhabitants of tropical countries. Banana is a rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium.
Banana fruit
