help me learn to like bananas (food aversion)

[la mamita]

I have never liked bananas. I find the mushy/goopy texture gross, although I do enjoy the flavor of bananas and often eat them in smoothies. However, I want to learn how to like eating them as a fruit.

Why? Bananas are really cheap here, they are portable, they are much safer than other fruits as far as bacterial contamination (a big concern of mine with fresh fruit here in Peru), and they are so healthy. Right now bananas are number one on my list of things I should like but don't.

Any ideas on how to get over this? Has anyone else overcome a food aversion? I've had other food aversions in the past from childhood that I've now outgrown (broccoli, spiral pasta, cooked onions), but nothing that I've actively gotten over...

My partner suggested eating them with condensed milk. I am contemplating just taking a bite every day until I start liking it.

[KatWrangler]

Sounds like you are letting them get too soft before eating. Have you tried eating them just after they turn yellow?

[SubliminalDarkness]

How about eating them frozen to start with?

[ollyoxenfree]

I only eat bananas when they are still slightly green. I can't stand the mushy texture of a ripe yellow banana. And if it has a single brown spot - it's only good for banana bread, as far as I'm concerned.

[Arduinna]

I really picky about food texture and I prefer my bananas right when they turn yellow up to a few spots at most.

[lilyka]

I would start out with slice bananas (like in cereal or just with milk or in jello or fruit salad or something like that) Then move on to whole fruit. That said I go back and forth on bananas. A lot of times they are just gross. It sounds like you live somewhere where they have not been trucked from across the world....Part of the reason I think I vacillate is that I am eating out of season fruit trucked in from half a world away. That does not do food any favors. but like you said. they are generally cheap and handy and good for you.

I agree with everyone else too. find one thats are the perfect ripeness for you. I like mine a little more ripe than most people here. if there is a bit of green on them I hate them. but I also don't like them too ripe.

[Alyantavid]

Buy green ones and try those. Once bananas get actually ripe, I can't eat them. I've sadly passed this on to my kids so I end up with lots of frozen ripe bananas for breads, muffins and smoothies.

[theatermom]

Definitely you're waiting too long to eat them. Start with some that still have some green in the skin, and try them with something else...fruit salad, oatmeal (or other grains, quinoa, etc), or with plain yogurt or pudding. Then go from there.

[greenmulberry]

I will not eat a banana if there is any brown spots on the skin, it is to gooshy then.

I like bananas sliced in a bowl of milk, with maybe a little sweetener over top.

[la mamita]

Yes, despite living less than 15 minutes from banana plantations, most of the bananas sold here in Peru are still mushy & brown. Not exactly sure why. I will try to find as many green ones to try this.

I think frozen sounds like the way to go at first, that should definitely eliminate the mushiness. Then I'll try them mixed into things like yogurt.

Sadly, I realized that attempting this during my first trimester of pregnancy (aka right now) is probably not a good idea. I'm going to hold off a few weeks until my liver calms down.

[Smokering]

I hate the texture too - I can only eat 'em in muffins and bread, not even smoothies. Good luck, though...

[Mama2mc]

Frozen and dipped in chocolate??

[tankgirl73]

I don't know if you can just say "you're waiting until they're too ripe" when you're talking about food aversions. I feel totally the same way about bananas, and I can guarantee you that them being less ripe is STILL really, really gross.

I like the smell of them, but that's it. I would not be able to eat them sliced in my cereal (don't eat cereal anyway), I don't even like banana smoothies no matter what else is in there, because the banana ruins it! I like artificial banana flavour (go figure...) but that's it.

I do like them in banana bread, but that's about it.

Getting over food aversions... I haven't. I have also outgrown a couple things, or found a few things that when I tried them now (after not having dared try them for 20+ years), they actually were pretty darn good. I don't have a lot of things I'd call "aversions" but many fruits are indeed really repulsive to me, and it's mostly about the texture, so I think those would qualify.

[425lisamarie]

I only eat them blended wtih a smoothie

[rhiOrion]

I'll only eat them blended in a smoothie- and it can't be the main flavor. I suppose some banana bread might be okay.

[la mamita]

as a kid i used to seriously hate onions. mostly because of the texture although the flavor of raw onions is pretty gross too. but now i will eat them in pasta sauce or as part of a sofrito. i still pick out big pieces of cooked onion and i still don't eat raw onion (although i will add it to certain dishes for flavor, just pick it out later). so i have hope for myself with the bananas.

AND i found a new way i like eating bananas. (besides smoothies and banana bread, which i love) i blended a banana and milk and a tiny bit of sugar and then froze it. i guess it's like a banana smoothie...with just bananas, it seemed too sweet to drink, but frozen it turned out great.

still a long way from just peeling a banana and eating it, but baby steps.