Are you craving ice cream but don’t want the guilt or calories that come with it? Don’t despair — there is a much healthier frozen treat that serves as an alternative. And it’s b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
But literally. It’s bananas.
A banana is decidedly healthier than ice cream. The fruit is loaded with fiber and vitamins such as potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium, which keep your body healthy. And because a single banana is only about 90 calories, choosing between the fruit and ice cream should be a no-brainer — if it wasn’t for the sugary goodness of the frozen dessert.
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Ice cream is packed with sugar and calories, which, of course, makes it a weakness to so many of us. But with this frozen banana life hack, you can fulfill your frozen treat cravings without you spiraling into a sugar spree.
When bananas are peeled, chopped, and frozen, they turn creamy as well as cold, almost indistinguishable from the texture and taste of ice cream. Just throw the frozen chunks into a blender and purée until they reach an ice cream-like consistency, grab a spoon and dig in.
If you’re not sold on eating frozen bananas as is, here are some other healthy renditions of the snack:
Banana “Nice” Cream
Though not as healthy as a straight frozen banana, banana “nice” cream is much healthier than devouring a pint of store-bought ice cream. This is a great recipe to try if you tried the plain frozen bananas and found them a bit bland.
The dessert is made with just five ingredients — frozen bananas, cacao powder, almond milk, vanilla extract and dates. It also makes a great vegan alternative to traditional ice cream.
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Frozen Banana Smoothie
When you throw the frozen bananas into the blender, don’t stop there. To make a banana smoothie, add some nutmeg, milk, vanilla and just a teaspoon of sugar. You can follow this basic recipe, but feel free to experiment with adding other fruits for a blended taste.
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Frozen Banana Almond Butter Bites
Before you freeze the banana chunks, make sure to slice them into thinner pieces than you would if just blending them up. Place the bananas on a cookie sheet, spread almond butter on top and place another piece of banana on top of the butter to make a sandwich. Then just freeze and enjoy.
