Bananas are a perfect part of anyone's diet, since to maintain a healthy lifestyle, one should meet one's daily requirement of five fruits and vegetables. It's no wonder bananas are one of the most popular fruits in all of America. They provide a source of energy and they are available year round. Similar to other fruits and vegetables, bananas do not contain any sodium, fat, or cholesterol. With bananas being a part of a healthy balanced diet, one may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer as well as heart disease.

Bananas are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, fiber and are rich in vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is important because a lack of it can cause insomnia, weakness and irritability. Potassium is important for helping muscles flex and bend properly during active work and it also reduces the chance of cramping up. Potassium may also help in reducing the chance of high blood pressure and stroke. It regulates blood pressure. An average-sized banana obtains about 400 mg of potassium and contains 110 calories with 4 grams of fiber. On top of being easy to digest, they also contain many carbohydrates, one of our main sources of energy.

Even those who get sugar cravings can be satisfied with a banana as its great taste can be a substitute for unhealthy sweets such as candy bars and gum. The banana even provides it's own wrapper with its peel, just like any other kind of tasty sweet. However, the difference is that it is healthy.

Bananas may also naturally help people overcome depression, as research shows that serotonin and norephinephrine exist in bananas.

Bananas also are great for babies. There's a reason why bananas are often the first food that's solid given to babies. They are easy to digest because they don't have fat and not many babies are allergic to them. The taste is also great and the amount of energy provided is great for kids that are growing up.

Yellow bananas are selected for eating and green ones should be used for ripening or cooking. Ones with brown specks should be used for baking cookies, bread and muffins. As they ripen, the starch in bananas turns into sugar, which makes them taste sweeter and sweeter. They're also great as a side dish for foods like cereal, salads, smoothies, shakes and yogurt.

Bananas should be stored at room temperature until they reach the ripeness that you prefer. Once that happens, you can put them in your fridge for storage. The banana peel will get darker in the fridge but the banana itself will still stay perfectly fine and tasty. One way to ripen bananas faster is to put them in a brown paper bag overnight. It works well with other kinds of fruit too.