How to freeze Bananas and my first FB Live video!

Recently, I shared a post about Healthy Eating on a Budget and my favorite 8 foods to help you do that. This week, I decided to build on that a bit and took it LIVE on Facebook to show everyone how to freeze bananas. It’s so funny because it sounds so simple. But there are actually a few things about freezing bananas that if you don’t already know, are about to blow your mind.

Health Benefits of Bananas

They are a good source of vitamins and minerals like folate, vitamin C and of course potassium. Also a good source of fiber and a great pre or post workout fuel source. They have about 110 calories, so you want to be mindful of just how many you have, but they add great texture to smoothies and are an awesome grab and go snack.

The ripeness of your banana totally matters

The more green the banana (aka – less ripe) the more resistant starch it has, meaning it is less sweet and has less sugar. As the banana ripens, the starch converts sugar and they become sweeter. If you don’t eat them in time, they get brown, mushy, higher in sugar and kinda gross. This is why learning how to freeze bananas is such a game changer. Because you can lock the starch to sugar conversion exactly where you want it and keep any brown bananas from hitting the trash bin.

Are frozen fruits and vegetables good for you?

They are in fact good for you. And in some cases, can be better than something that has been sitting out in the grocery store for a long time. The nutrition in produce can be oxidized by air, light and heat. When fruits and veggies are frozen, they are often taken right off the field, washed, and flash frozen. The freezer is dark and cold, preserving many of the nutrients. Frozen produce lasts much longer (obviously) making them very budget friendly!

Freezing fruit and veggie tips

You can freeze your own fruits and veggies too. Let’s say you shop at Costco and you just can’t eat that entire pillow size bag of spinach before it goes bad. That’s ok! Just toss it in the freezer! It won’t come back good for a salad, but will be great in smoothies and any cooked dishes like enchiladas, lasagna or morning egg scrambles. You can do with with any produce you’ve purchased that is about to go bad.

Keep these in mind when freezing your bananas or any piece of produce you want to save:

• Wash them and make sure they are in ready to eat form.
• Peel anything off you won’t want to eat. It’s nearly impossible to get it off later.
• Chop into the bit sized piece you want to work with. Fruits and veggies are not easy to cut once they are frozen.
• Store them in zip lock baggies and flat so the pieces don’t freeze together.

My First Every FaceBook Live Video!

And if you want the play by play and nervous energy from my very first ever FB live video, here you go! I won’t lie, hitting that LIVE button was a little nerve wracking! But I’m so glad I did it because it’s had 4K views in just 2 days. Yay!

How To Freeze Bananas Summary

Fear not, the freezer can be your friend and definitely help you eat healthy on a budget and also live a Clean & Colorful Lifestyle! Small little tips like learning how to freeze bananas properly can really make unprocessing your diet and eating more plants easier. If you want more tips on like this, make sure you sign up to receive my newsletter or check back on the blog soon!

*This post was originally published on Eat. Drink & be Skinny*