Banana pasta is a type of

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ar ...

prepared using banana as a primary ingredient. The product is typically made with unripe, green bananas that are dried and then milled into banana flour. Banana pasta is a

gluten-free A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclus ...

food. The product can be dried for later cooking or can be cooked immediately after preparation. Banana pasta is cooked like standard pasta, typically by boiling it. A study found that banana pasta has a higher water absorption rate compared to standard pasta, which generates higher yields after cooking. In 2012, University of Brasília researchers found that banana pasta can be a useful product for those with

celiac disease Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye and barle ...

, and that compared to whole wheat pasta, banana pasta is lower in calories and fat, higher in protein, and less expensive to produce. The product has also shown promise as a means to utilize green bananas, which have few industrial uses and a low commercial value.

History

University of Brasília study

In 2012,

food scientists Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

at the University of Brasília conducted a study involving the creation of a banana pasta using green bananas, which were milled into flour; they published their results in the ''

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics The ''Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics'' is the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published by Elsevier. It covers research in nutritional science, medical nutrition therapy, public ...

''. In a taste test comprising 25 participants with

, a disease caused by an adverse reaction to

gluten Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain cereal grains. Although "gluten" often only refers to wheat proteins, in medical literature it refers to the combination of prolamin and glutelin proteins naturally occurring in all grai ...

, and 50 without the disease, both groups favored the flavor of banana pasta compared to other gluten-free pastas, such as those prepared from brown rice, soybeans, quinoa, and potatoes. The group without celiac disease was also given pasta prepared from wheat flour, as a comparison. Favorable responses were higher among those with celiac disease, and was lower among those lacking the disease. Also, the non-celiac group "rated the green banana pasta the same as whole wheat pasta for flavor, aroma and appearance and liked the texture of the banana dish better". Compared to whole wheat pasta, the researchers found that banana pasta is higher in protein, lower in fat and calories, and less expensive to produce than whole wheat pasta. It was also suggested that banana pasta may contribute to controlling intestinal regularity and

glycemic index The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...

es because of the high levels of

resistant starch Resistant starch (RS) is starch, including its degradation products, that escapes from digestion in the small intestine of healthy individuals. Resistant starch occurs naturally in foods, but it can also be added as part of dried raw foods, or use ...

in banana pasta.

Commercial production

In 2017, Tonya Ifill, an entrepreneur in Barbados, developed a banana pasta made with green bananas. Ifill stated that a significant aspect of developing the product was determining a proper amount of water to add to the banana flour, and that water temperature was an important factor as well. For example, if the water was too hot, the pasta crumbled.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web , title=Gluten-free pasta – made from bananas? , website= New York Daily News , date=June 26, 2012 , url=http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/gluten-free-pasta-made-green-bananas-heaven-celiac-sufferers-carb-eaters-article-1.1102533 , accessdate=March 14, 2017 {{cite web , author=Sealy, Donna , title=Introducing banana pasta , website= Daily Nation , date=March 14, 2017 , url=http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/94242/introducing-banana-pasta , accessdate=March 14, 2017 {{cite journal , last=RP , first=Zandonadi , display-authors=et al , title=Green banana pasta: an alternative for gluten-free diets , journal=Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , date=March 14, 2017 , pmid=22889636 , doi=10.1016/j.jand.2012.04.002 , volume=112 , issue=7 , pages=1068–72 {{Cite news , last=Pittman , first=Genevra , title=Next on the gluten-free menu: green banana pasta? , newspaper=Reuters , date=June 28, 2012 , url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-menu-green-banana-idUSBRE85R1J620120628 , accessdate=March 15, 2017 {{cite web , title=Gluten-Free Green Banana Pasta for People with Celiac Disease , publisher=

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a 501(c)(6) trade association in the United States. With over 112,000 members, the association claims to be the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. It has registered dietitian n ...

, date=January 30, 2014 , url=http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/diseases-and-conditions/celiac-disease/going-glutenfree-look-to-green-banana-pasta , accessdate=March 19, 2017 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320143358/http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/diseases-and-conditions/celiac-disease/going-glutenfree-look-to-green-banana-pasta , archive-date=2017-03-20 , url-status=dead

History

University of Brasília study

Commercial production

See also

References

Further reading