WHY PLANTAIN SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR DIET?

 

Being one of the major staple crops for people living in tropical countries, however, Plantain is found to be native to South-East Asia. It belongs to the Musaceae family in genus Musa hence, its scientific name is Musa paradisiaca. Plantain is a perennial herbaceous plant with unbranched pseudo-stem formed by long spirally arranged leaf sheaths often extending to form the margin of the leaves. The leaves are oppositely arranged close to the growing part of the plant where the fruits are bear. The root system is made up of rhizome that often developed into new plants (suckers) that enhance the continuous production of the plant on the field i.e., it can stay on the field for a very long time. It can tolerate drought quite very well making production to be possible all year round. The fruits are in bunches which developed from the flower of the plant. The fruit often has green to yellow skin covering with white to a creamy color inner edible flesh enclosing dark seeds at the center.

Moreover, the plantain fruit serves many purposes, for instance, the outer skin covering can serve as a food supplement for ruminants and pigs and the flesh can be turned into different varieties of food for human using different kind of cooking methods like roasting, frying and steaming. Plantain can also be processed into flour which also serves as another food variety for man.

Meanwhile, people tend to mistake plantain for banana and banana for plantain due to the similarities between them that often make differentiating them a little bit difficult for people. In lieu of this, let’s quickly take a look at some differences between plantain and banana below;

Banana Vs Plantain

1.      Banana has wider pseudo-stem unlike plantain with smaller pseudo-stem.

2.      Banana required more water to survive and perform better on the soil unlike plantain that takes less water from the soil and this made it suitable for use as shade plant during establishment of tree crops in the field.

3.      Plantain has a stronger root system that goes deep into the soil unlike banana with a weaker root that only goes few centimeters into the soil and this makes it lodge easily.

4.      Banana has a long tubular leaf that’s somehow tapper at the end like a sword while plantain has broader leaves that are somewhat like a shoe sole at the end.

5.      Banana fruits are smaller and tender when matured while plantain fruits tend to be harder and longer when fully matured.

6.       Banana fruit outer skin covering is soft and flexible while that of plantain fruit is thick, firm and cannot be break easily.

7.      Banana fruits have a shorter shelf life unlike plantain that can store longer after harvesting.

The table below shows the nutritional information of plantain (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)

Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	122 Kcal	6%
Carbohydrates	31.89 g	24.5%
Protein	1.30 g	2%
Total Fat	0.37g	2%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	2.30 g	6%
Vitamins
Folates	22 µg	5.5%
Niacin	0.686 mg	4%
Pyridoxine	0.299 mg	23%
Riboflavin	0.054 mg	4%
Thiamin	0.052 mg	4%
Vitamin A	1127 IU	37.5%
Vitamin-C	18.4 mg	31%
Vitamin-E	0.14 mg	1%
Vitamin K	0.7 µg	1%
Electrolytes
Sodium	4 mg	<1%
Potassium	499 mg	10.6%
Minerals
Calcium	3 mg	<0.5%
Iron	0.60 mg	7.5%
Magnesium	37 mg	9%
Phosphorus	34 mg	5%
Zinc	0.14 mg	1%

Health Benefits of Plantain

1.      Plantain is a good source of energy thereby supplying a considerable amount of energy for the body.

2.      It contains iron which aid production of red blood cells and this amount for the reason why it’s good for Anaemia and Neuritis patients. Eating plantain prevent Anaemia and Neuritis.

3.      It aids digestion because it is very rich in fiber.

4.      Eating of unripe plantain can help prevent and treat diabetes because, of its low sugar level. The starch in the unripe plantain is not converted to glucose yet unlike the ripe one.

5.       It is very rich in calcium which aids in proper bone and teeth development. A good source of calcium for children.

6.      Regular consumption of plantain by women can help prevent menstrual discomfort and miscarriage.

7.      It contains no cholesterol and has low-fat content thereby making it a good pick for people that want to lose weight.

In conclusion, consumption of plantain is a way of enhancing healthy diet among people especially in children in developing countries of the world.