Bananas contain many nutrients required to keep us healthy and yet the amount of calories in a banana is relatively low. This is one of the reasons many sportspeople are seen eating them, they are healthy, nutritious and give an energy boost because of the natural sugars they possess and generally they are not fattening. We say generally because bananas are so versatile that they can be cooked as well as eaten raw. If they are cooked in oil then the calories in a banana will increase because of the added oil.

Bananas can only be grown in tropical areas, if the temperature drops below 54 degrees Fahrenheit then banana trees will die. They do not thrive where the temperature is too hot either and very high temperatures of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit will kill banana trees. Although they are not very robust, and direct sunlight and winds are known to damage them banana trees can easily be grown. Professional growers find sheltered areas away from winds and direct sunlight can be filtered by netting to give the trees the protection they need to flourish.

Banana trees only take slightly over a year from planting to producing fruit and many growers plant the young shoot underground facing down. It is believed that this produces a hardier tree which can produce more fruit. The short time from planting until a tree can produce fruit may be one of the reasons why bananas are so popular, it is said that they are the third most popular fruit in the world, just behind the apple and orange.