Banana madness recipes

Bananas are chock full of B vitamins, as well as vitamin C, potassium, manganese and magnesium (good to calm down an active toddler).

Bananas stimulate the stomach lining to thicken and help remove unhealthy bacteria from the intestines. This bent fruit is also a good source of prebiotics.

From 6 months

Banana and mango pureé

• 1 Banana, peeled
• ½ Mango, peeled and cut into chunks

Method:

1. Fork-mash the banana and mango and serve. There is no need to blend or process everything your baby eats- they need to get used to a bit of texture right from the start.

TIP: This pureé freezes well, so put any extra in a suitable container and freeze for up to three months.

From 9 months

Baby oats

• 250ml (1 cup)  Rolled oats (not the fast-cooking kind)
• 60ml (¼ cup)  Golden sultanas, finely chopped
• ½  Banana, peeled

Method:

1. To make the baby oats, place the rolled oats and sultanas in a food processor and whizz till very fine.
2. Put a heaped tablespoon of the baby oat and sultana mixture in a bowl, and cover with boiled water.
3. Fork-mash the banana while the porridge cools, then stir through and serve.

TIP: Keep this mixture in an airtight container for up to four months- and you'll always be ready to serve a healthy, yummy breakfast in a flash.

5 QUICK FACTS ABOUT BANANAS  

• The banana peel contains the finest natural lubricant known to humankind. You can use the inside of a banana peel to polish patent leather shoes.
• The earliest dessert recipe ever written was a banana recipe- a mushy mixture of bananas, almonds and honey.
• There are in excess of 500 banana varieties in the world. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small finger fruits to purple plantains.
• Bananas don't grow on tress. They're actually a giant herb.
• Bananas are harvested green because they keep ripening even after they are picked.

SOURCE: WWW.EASY-BANANA-RECIPES.COM

From 12 months

Banana power shake

• 1  Frozen banana chunks (from very ripe banana)
• 15ml (1 tsp)  Peanut butter
• 200ml  Milk

Method:

1. Whizz together all the ingredientsin a blender or food processor.
2. Pour into a glass and serve. You can add a little honey if desired, but if the banana was very ripe when frozen it will not be necessary.

Toddler treat

Banana chunks dipped in chocolate sauce

• 1  Banana (per person), cut into chunks
• For the chocolate sauce:
• 100g  Chocolate, broken into pieces
• 60ml (4tbsp)  Cream

Method:

1. To make the sauce, pour the cream into a heat-proof bowl that fits snuggly onto a saucepan. Add the chocolate to the bowl.
2. Pour boiling water into the saucepan. Place the bowl of cream and chocolate over the boiling water. Place on low heat, stirring occasionally till the chocolate is melted and transformed into a silky sauce.
3. Pour imto a bowl and leave to cool.
4. In the meantime, skewer the banana chunks onto bamboo cocktail sticks and arrange on a plate. Now let your toddler have fun dipping the fruit into the chocolate sauce.

TIP: Best eaten before bath time!

Lunch box

Wholewheat banana muffins

• 4  Bananas
• 125ml (½ cup)  Sugar
• 1  Egg
• 80ml  Canola oil
• 375ml (1½ cup)  Wholewheat flour
• 5ml (1 tsp)  Bicarbonate of soda
• 5ml (1 tsp)  Baking powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, and line a muffin tin with paper cups.
2. If you have a food processor, put all the ingredients in the bowl and pulse until mixeed. If not, mash the bananas, whisk in the sugar and egg. Stir in the oil, then the sifted dry ingredients.
3. Spoon mixture into muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Leave to cool on a wire rack and pack into lunch boxes.

TIP: These muffins freeze well, so freeze in individual Ziploc bags and take out of freezer as needed.

Family favourite

Banana yoghurt ice cream

• 4  Bananas
• 250ml (1 cup)  Plain Greek yoghurt
• 30ml (2 tbsp)  Honey

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and whizz till smooth.
2. If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into the bowl and churn till frozen. Place in an airtight freezer container and freeze till needed.
3. If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply place mixture into an airtight freezer container and freeze for a few hours till almost set. Remove and whizz in the food processor again to break up ice crystals. Freeze till needed.