In addition to being an affordable kitchen staple, bananas offer a myriad of nutritional benefits that are often overlooked. They happen to be an excellent source of potassium, which is a nutrient known to help reduce your risk of having a stroke. You can find plenty of manganese, vitamin B6, and fiber in your bananas, all of which help to build and maintain a strong and healthy body. Bananas also happen to have powerful sterols in them, which are a type of fat that works to block dietary cholesterol from being absorbed into the blood and body.
It is important to eat your bananas fully ripeto ensure that their sugars and nutrients have fully developed. This also makes them easier to digest. Your bananas are ripe when their entire bodies are yellow and no green is apparent – there should also be black spots developing on the skins, but don’t worry! The “meat” of your bananas will be bright and beautiful once they are peeled.
Not sure what to do with bananas when it comes to mealtime? Enjoy these fresh fruits in abundance with the help of these raw vegan banana breakfast ideas!
1. Banana Berry Cereal
Chris Hunkeler/Flickr
One of the quickest ways to whip up a raw vegan banana breakfast is to make yourself a bowl of banana berry cereal. This is a light yet filling meal that will keep you fueled until it’s time to chow down again. Simply cut up a couple of bananas into bite-sized pieces, and throw them in a bowl with a handful or two of fresh or frozen berries. Top the concoction with a few cacao nibs or sprouted buckwheat, and then fill the bowl with some homemade cashew milk. Yum!
2. Sweet Cinnamon Rolls
When it comes to raw vegan cinnamon rolls, they are just as satisfying as any cooked version. They’re gooey, sweet, and completely indulgent – yet they aren’t filled with harmful fats or processed sugars. Make your own basic version by slicing your bananas lengthwise into three strips each and spreading each strip with a blended mixture of dates, raisins, and cinnamon. Then lightly roll the strips up into mini cinnamon rolls and top with your favorite icing or more cinnamon. You can eat them as-is or put them in the dehydrator for a couple of hours to warm them up and dry them out a bit. Also, try these raw cinnamon rolls that don’t use bananas as another option.
3. Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Cookies don’t have to be reserved for dessert when they are made with whole fresh ingredients. Whipping up a batch of raw vegan banana oatmeal cookies will set you up for breakfast and ensure that you have something tasty to snack on when you need to refuel your body.Mix together a cup of oats, a sliced banana, and a tablespoon of both raw nut butter and maple syrup in a bowl and then shape them like little cookies. Dehydrate them until they’re the texture of your preference, and store them in a plastic bag or reusable container.
4. Chocolate Banana Smoothie
If you’re running low on time, a smoothie is always a good way to go when you need to fuel your day. A chocolate banana smoothie might taste like dessert, but it’s nothing more than a healthy and filling meal. All you need to do is throw three bananas, a cup of nut milk, and a couple tablespoons of cacao powder into a blender and mix on high until it’s smooth and creamy. You might want to add a little ice to chill things a bit… and you can even freeze your smoothie to create a cooling treat for after a workout or at the end of a long day.
5. Banana Mango Pudding
Forget about those little pudding cups at the store and make a healthy, but just as tasty, version in the comfort of your own home. You’ll need two bananas, half a cup of fresh or frozen mango chunks, three pieces of dried mango (find it at your local health food store), and about three dates. Pulse the dried mango in your food processor until it breaks into small chunks, and then add the rest of your ingredients.
Mix on high speed until thick and creamy, and then transfer your pudding into a big bowl and top with coconut flakes and/or your favorite dried fruit.
6. Banana Breakfast Bites
Talk about simple! You can probably make banana breakfast bites in your sleep if you wanted to. But, there’s no need to train your brain for that wacky task. Instead, spend five minutes in the morning slicing bananas and top each slice with a little nut butter and a couple of raisins. Eat them as you make them, and breakfast can be accomplished in less than a quarter hour.
7. Banana Tacos
You can make either dessert tacos with bananas, or use leafy greens as a shell to fill with bananas as the filling for a meal option. Both are afun way to start your day off. To make a taco with leafy greens, start with a head of romaine lettuce and rip off about six large leaves. Rinse the leaves and situate them on a large plate so they look like taco shells.
Fill each leaf with sliced bananas and drizzle each taco with lots pineapple glaze made by blending fresh pineapple chunks and dried figs together. Or for dessert, see this dessert taco recipe for a chocolate version.
8. Banana Walnut “Bread”
While there are tons of healthy and comforting baked banana bread recipes to enjoy on any given morning,raw vegan versions are just as filling and maybe even more energizing. To make your own raw banana nut bread just put three bananas, a cup of walnuts, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of vanilla extract in your food processor.
Pulse until well combined like dough, and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Massage a handful of raisins into the “dough” using your hands, and then separate the dough into small single slices of bread about an inch thick. Put the slices of bread in your dehydrator and let them dry overnight. They’ll be ready for breakfast!
9. Cherry Cacao Banana Truffles
Truffles make for a fancy breakfast that will have your taste buds singing a happy tune all day long. There’s no need for a dehydrator of any special tools in order to get your grub on with these truffles– all you need are three bananas, a teaspoon of powdered cherries, and a teaspoon of raw cacao powder. Put the bananas and half the powders in a small bowl and mix them together with your hands.
Then use about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time to make small truffles before dusting them with a little bit of extra cacao and cherry powder mixed together on a plate.
10. Marinated Banana Kiwi Skewers
Steven Depolo/Flickr
If you get a bit nostalgic at the thought of having summertime picnics or barbecues with friends and family, marinated breakfast skewers are for you. The fun, filling, and vibrant qualities will put a big smile on your face first thing in the morning. Just skewer pineapple chunks, kiwi chunks, and thick banana slices and then marinade them in a concoction of maple syrup, a bit of grated ginger, and fresh lemon juice. Make these ahead of time so you can let the fruit marinade in the fridge overnight for a deliciously intense flavor.
There you have it – 10 completely satisfying, tasty, and healthy raw vegan banana breakfast ideas that will energize your day and promote a healthy lifestyle. See other tips with bananas here to replace dairy in your morning meals and snacks!
We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!
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