Banana chips are dried or fried crisps of sliced cooking or plantain bananas. They are pale yellow, rounded, and usually sold in bulk as crunchy snacks. Varieties like Saba are the best for making banana chips because they are starchy and firmer. The Philippines are the leading exporter of banana chips.
Making Banana Chips by Drying
Certain banana chips can only be obtained through food dehydration. Dehydrated banana slices are brown, leathery, and chewy rather than dark yellow and crunchy. Dried banana chips have an extreme banana flavor and are very sweet tasting.
This kind of banana chip is made from ripe banana fruits. They can as well be made by baking in an oven, though the intense flavor is not guaranteed under this process.
Making Banana Chips by Frying
Fried banana chips are usually made from under-ripe banana slices deep-fried in coconut oil or sunflower oil. This kind of banana chip is similar to that of potatoes. They can be sugar-coated, salted, and spiced. Moreover, banana flavoring is also added in some circumstances.
Banana chips can come out soggy if ripe dessert bananas are used instead of under-ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are only suitable for desserts and not for dry banana chips.
How to Make Banana Chips the Easy Way
Banana chips fried in coconut oil are enjoyable snacks to eat during rainy weather. They are stored in an air-tight container to prolong. The procedure below is the best.
Ingredients for banana chips
- Four under-ripe bananas (peeled, sliced into thin rounds, and washed.)
- Three cups of clean water.
- Two cups of coconut oil.
- One tsp turmeric.
- Taste salt.
- One chill powder.
Procedure
- Put the banana slices into a solution of water, turmeric, and salt. Let the solution settle for five minutes.
- Mix the solution thoroughly then transfer it to a colander and ensure complete draining.
- Heat the coconut oil in a medium-sized, thick, circular, deep cooking pot on medium heat.
- When the coconut starts boiling, add the banana slices in small batches. Ensure you don’t overcrowd the slices to avoid sticking.
- Fry until spluttering stops. At this point, it appears golden yellow then transfer onto a paper napkin.
- Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the banana slices.
- Sprinkle the obtained chips with salt and chili powder and allow them to cool.
- Store in an air-tight container so that it can last for up to a week.
Nutritional benefits of banana chips
Snacking between meals could be enjoyable and a great trick to drive away hunger. It will also discourage overeating during normal meals. Banana chips could be a more natural alternative to potato chips. It sounds a great deal, but how healthy are banana chips in the real sense?
1. Banana Chips are a Good Source of Magnesium.
Banana chips are a good source of essential vitamins, magnesium especially. Magnesium has the following functions in the body; DNA synthesis, cell-to-cell communication, and production of energy, and it is an important part of cell growth.
Magnesium works together with other minerals such as calcium and phosphorus to make up tooth and bone tissues. It also strengthens your skeleton. One serving of banana chips contains roughly thirty-two milligrams. That is an average of nine percent total magnesium that your body needs in a day depending on sex.
2. Source of Calories
Banana chips contain moderately high calories. Each 42-gram serving contains roughly 218 calories. An individual is expected to consume up to 2000 calories in a day. Most of the calories come from carbohydrates and fats.
These chips can also keep your body energized between meals. Keep in mind that if you consume too many banana chips, it won’t help you lose weight.
3. Banana chips as a source of Potassium
Although banana chips contain less potassium compared to raw bananas, we must accept the fact that there is still plenty of potassium in them. Potassium is an essential element in a person’s health. It lowers blood pressure, supports muscles and nerves, and increases heartbeat.
Each dose of banana chips can contribute up to 225 milligrams of potassium. This amount is approximately five percent of potassium required in a day. So, banana chips provide a high quantity of potassium to your body and thus ensure your health is excellent.
Side effects of Banana Chips
The nutritional content of banana chips depends on the method of preparation. For instance, if banana chips are deeply fried, the level of calories may outweigh the nutritional value of bananas and coconut oil. Consuming excess banana chips may also be detrimental to your health in the following ways;
1. Increase blood sugar level
Most commercial bananas are rich in sugar and fats because they are heavily sweetened. Besides, sugar is added to banana chips and this can cause heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It is therefore recommended that you snack on banana chips on rare occasions.
Every seventy-two grams of banana chip contain up to twenty-five grams of sugar. This amount of sugar plus 10.5 grams of added sugar could potentially increase the risk of attack by diseases.
2. High fats
Fats are not necessarily harmful. However, consuming an excess of saturated fats could be a problem for your heart activities. A single cup of banana chips contains 21 grams of saturated fat.
Fried banana chips are tasty and yummy. You might crave these chips and eat more than you intend. If you think that mere banana chips are harmless, your effort to discard more weight may be in vain. Take caution to consume low fats and calorie foods if you want to lose weight.