Photo by Crystl

No, I don’t eat bananas. Not really anyway.

It’s not that I don’t like the taste, I actually really enjoy them (particularly with ice cream). Nor do I actively avoid bananas—I’d eat homemade banana cream pie any day of the week, and in Thailand I noshed on the small red finger bananas sold at the local markets. But I don’t buy bananas in the US, and given a choice I’d almost always opt for something else.

While this probably sounds strange to some of you, if you stop and think about the way I live and shop it’s easy to see how this idiosyncratic habit evolved.

I do the majority of my grocery shopping (~80%) at the farmers market, and as you might expect bananas aren’t common in San Francisco. The one or two brick and mortar stores I shop at for the rest of my food here in the city are nothing like your typical supermarkets. Like the farmers market these stores carry local, seasonal food almost exclusively (did I mention I love San Francisco?), and if they carry bananas I’ve never noticed them.

So the main reason I don’t buy bananas is logistical: they don’t exist here.

Honestly for me that’s enough of a reason to focus on the rest of the produce the season has to offer—there’s always more beautiful fruit than I could possibly eat (even in the winter), why do I need bananas too? But when you pause and reflect on why this makes me strange, you start to realize that there are deeper issues with our most popular fruit that make them less than an ideal snack.

The vast majority of bananas sold in the US are grown in Latin Amercia by a handful of countries including Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica. In these places bananas are grown year round, are harvested while unripe, then shipped in special refrigerated compartments until they reach their destination weeks later. The fruit is then exposed to ethylene gas which causes it to ripen and turn their characteristic bright yellow (a different shade than their natural dull yellow when tree-ripened).

Though not genetically modified (yet), all commercial bananas are genetically identical clones grown in monocultures. While this makes the product extremely consistent, it also leaves it vulnerable to disease since cross-breeding cannot confer any protective benefit. Before 1960, the most prevalent commercial banana variety was ‘Gros Michel.’ However, these bananas were wiped out by the fungal Panama disease, forcing farmers to adopt a new variety.

Now all commercial bananas are the Cavendish variety, which was chosen for shelf life and shipping rather than flavor. Cavendish bananas are not immune to infection, however. An extremely virulent strain of Panama disease known as TR4 has threatened Cavendish bananas in Southeast Asia and Australia, and scientists believe TR4 will likely reach Latin American banana plantations soon. There is no variety currently considered a viable replacement for Cavendish, and bananas may be gone from supermarket shelves in our lifetimes. As I hinted above, companies are working to genetically modify the bananas to be resistant to TR4.

Even worse than monoculture ag destroying a commodity that millions of people depend on for their livelihoods, the large banana companies in Latin America (Dole and Chiquita) have a history of mind-boggling corruption. The term “banana republic” describes corrupt countries where the political system favors large agriculture corporations over public welfare. I had trouble finding information on the current state of the banana business and its politics, but there is little indication that things have improved.

But what about nutrition? Am I missing out? Bananas are famously high in potassium, but so are all the green leafy vegetables that make up a huge portion of my diet. Commercial bananas are indeed a good source of several nutrients, however they are also one of the most calorie dense fruits due to their high sugar content. There’s nothing in bananas that you can’t get from other foods, and lower calorie fruits may be a better choice if you eat them often or are watching your weight.

Despite these concerns, there are plenty of valid reasons to continue eating bananas. Just don’t let anyone call you crazy if you choose to skip them.

What are your thoughts on bananas? B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Originally published August 1, 2011.

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

Sorry this is a bit late today, I’m on the road and neither my flight nor my hotel last night had functional internet?! Starbucks, of all places, saved the day.

This week a new perspective on salt, new information on GMO foods and a brilliant strategy for getting drugs out of our meat.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Delicious. I also share links on Twitter @summertomato,  Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you. (And yes, I took that pepper heart pic myself).

Links of the week

• Salt, We Misjudged You <<Confused about salt? I’ve covered it in the past, but here Gary Taubes adds some new info and passes serious doubt on current recommendations. (New York Times)
• GM Myths and Truths: A critical review of the science <<Curious how much we know about all that genetically modified food you’re eating? The evidence was recently reviewed, and it’s a little scary. (Food Politics)
• GMO foods don’t need special label, American Medical Assn. says <<Given that last article, would you agree with me that the AMA deserves to be called out for BS of the week? (LA Times)
• Your meat on drugs: Will grocery stores cut out antibiotics? <<I think targeting grocery stores (as opposed to government agencies) for geting antibiotics out of our meat is a terrific idea. Trader Joe’s, we’re looking at you. (Grist)
• Is It Time to Retire the Low-Carb Diet “Fad”? <<Another brilliant (and hilarious) piece by Denise Minger about how Facebook inhibits the cholesterol lowering effects of Justin Bieber. Ok, it’s about fat and carbs in Sweden, but it’s still funny. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Study: No-Fat, Low-Fat Dressings Don’t Get Most Nutrients out of Salads <<I’ve said it before, but just to reiterate salads are healthier when you put oil on them. (ScienceDaily)
• The food politics of… broccoli! <<A totally awesome discussion of how broccoli is being used as a political tool. Must read. (Food Politics)
• 12 Most Toxic Fruits and Vegetables <<The Environmental Working Group put out their new Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides. Watch those industrial apple peels! (Treehugger)
• The Senate roll-call votes on farm bill amendments <<A new farm bill passed! Here’s an update on what changed. (Food Politics)
• Kale Market Salad Recipe <<I’m going to eat this as soon as I get home. Looks unbelievable. (101 Cookbooks)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one with sugar on the brain this week. The now infamous Dr. Lustig thinks the government should treat sugar like tobacco and alcohol, but Marion Nestle is not convinced. I also found an excellent article from the anti-grain crowd admitting rice might not be so bad for you after all. Rejoice!

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato), Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Societal Control of Sugar Essential to Ease Public Health Burden <<Everyone in health is buzzing about this editorial by Dr. Lustig, something I’ve commented on before. Though I agree with his suggestion that sugar is dangerous in large doses, I agree with Marion Nestle (below) that regulation isn’t the answer in this case. (UCSF)
• Are sugars toxic? Should they be regulated? <<To keep this in perspective, Nestle is traditionally in favor of regulating the food industry to keep them honest. If she’s against this, that’s a good indication that it’s crossing the line. (Food Politics)
• The “Asian Paradox”: How Can Asians Eat So Much Rice and Not Gain Weight? <<Huge props to paleo blogger Mark Sisson for ‘fessing up that rice, in all its evil grain-ness, isn’t really bad for you. This is a great read. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Exercise as Housecleaning for the Body <<This is one of the most interesting theories I’ve ever read on why exercise is good for you. Biology geeks, don’t miss this one. (New York Times)
• ‘Just Label It’ Campaign Asks the FDA for GMO Labeling <<I don’t think GMO is innately bad (though some of them probably are), but I would definitely like to know when I’m eating GMO foods. How about you? (Treehugger)
• Eating Together? Simply a Matter of Adapting <<I’ve definitely noticed that who I’m eating with influences how fast I eat. Apparently I am influencing them as well, which is a good thing. (ScienceDaily)
• Eating fish tied to lower risk of colon polyps <<You already knew vegetables were good for your intestines. Apparently fish is as well. (Medline)
• CURRIED LENTILS AND SPINACH <<Lentils and spinach is one of my absolute favorite pairings. I love the sound of this warming winter dish. (Chez Us)
• French Cauliflower Soup with Bacon and Herb Garnish <<I bet you’ve never considered putting soup and salad in the same bowl. Check out this beautiful recipe for a heavily garnished cauliflower soup. Yum! (Savour Fare)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week I found a couple inspiring stories about food communities in New York, a scary wakeup call about genetically modified foods and some different perspectives on the roles of politics and economy in healthy eating.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links on Twitter (@summertomato) and the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Surviving Hurricane Irene’s Agricultural Destruction <<Hurricane Irene has had a tremendous impact on local farms in the northeast, but some innovative new companies are stepping up to the challenge. (Forbes)
• Genetically-engineered corn gets hit by ‘super bugs’ <<This is only one of many reasons it is dangerous to rely on GMO monoculture crops for our food supply, and it’s really scary. (APM Marketplace)
• Farm subsidies stand accused <<BS of the week. This article attempts to make a case that cheap corn and wheat are not what’s fueling our obesity epidemic. While there are certainly many factors, imagine how different it would be if the cheapest foods were broccoli and spinach. (Chicago Tribune)
• How to Stay a Foodie Family on Food Stamps <<Fortunately, some people have found a way to eat healthy regardless of the bad economy. I love this article, so inspiring. (Civil Eats)
• Gastronomy 101 <<Oh how I wish my high school had classes like this. This is a fantastic read, highly recommended. (Gilt Taste)
• Slower eating pace keeps kilos off – study <<Eating slowly, mindfully and chewing food thoroughly is one of the most under appreciated ways to drop weight. (New Zealand Herald)
• Cycling Fast: Vigorous Daily Exercise Recommended for a Longer Life <<This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a study like this suggesting that hard workouts have unique value in health and weight loss. (ScienceDaily)
• The art of dashboard dining <<While this kind of grosses me out, I appreciate the creativity. (Washington Post)
• Viruses in the Human Gut Show Dynamic Response to Diet <<We all respond differently to the same diet. Part of the reason is genetics, and another is the different friendly bacteria living in our guts. I didn’t realize there were a bunch of viruses in there too. Nutrition is complicated. (Science Daily)
• SWEET CORN CEVICHE <<The corn is so delicious right now, and I think the recipe is a perfect way to highlight it. (Sprouted Kitchen)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

The USDA release a new “Nutrition Plate,” cell phones might cause cancer (but probably don’t), the uselessness of genetically modified salmon and more. A great week for food and health reading.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links at Twitter (@summertomato) and the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Nutrition Plate Unveiled, Replacing Food Pyramid <<Not bad, though I’m sad there’s no emphasis on healthy fats. (New York Times)
• If cellphones cause cancer, how do they do it? No one knows (i.e. don’t panic) <<A rare dose of critical thinking and rational reporting from a major news source. (Los Angeles Times)
• MSG linked to weight gain <<BS of the week. Is MSG actually causing weight gain, or does fattening processed food tend to be full of MSG? Let’s not jump to conclusions. (Medline)
• Connecting Dots: Fruit is Real Food; Eat It <<Love this post for many reasons. It always makes me cringe when people tell me they avoid fruit because of sugar. Fructose ≠ fruit. (Free The Animal)
• Eating Fat, Staying Lean <<A little more evidence that dietary fat won’t kill you. (New York Times)
• Ten ways to get kids to eat their veggies <<These tips for kids (foreign to me) are much more creative than I expected them to be. Thx to the reader who sent it my way. (CNN)
• Genetically Engineered Salmon’s Empty Promises <<Awesome analysis of the uselessness of GMO salmon. (Gilt Taste)
• Scientists Discover ‘Ultra-Bad’ Cholesterol <<We’re learning that heart disease is more nuanced than a simple cholesterol measurement can tell us. (Medline)
• Where Food Is God <<I found this article about how health food was invented by religious cults to be very entertaining and well worth a read. (Slate)
• spring salad with new potatoes <<A beautiful spring recipe by one of my favorite blogs. (Smitten Kitchen)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week I found a surprisingly in depth and thoughtful piece on genetically modified foods, an even more impressive food commitment by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and a few good signs that the politics of food labels are headed in the right direction—truth.

Also, for you geeks my thesis work is finally published. Here’s the deets.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Digg. I also share links at Twitter (@summertomato) and the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• With no labeling, few realize they are eating genetically modified foods <<Excellent analysis of the politics of GMO. Of course labeling is a good idea. (Los Angeles Times)
• Mark Zuckerberg’s new challenge: Eating only what he kills (and yes, we do mean literally…) <<I’m really impressed with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg‘s commitment to own his food choices this year. As someone who has killed many animals (lab research), I think the experience is invaluable for appreciating our modern food chain. (CNN)
• Study Questions Treatment Used in Heart Disease <<Turns out drugs that raise HDL cholesterol aren’t as valuable as everyone hoped. But HDL is still an excellent predictor of heart disease. Seems like you’ll have to raise it the old fashioned way, with diet and exercise. (New York Times)
• Red Meat and Colon Cancer: Beyond the Headlines <<Insightful analysis of the latest news about red meat and colon cancer. Read before you eat. (Nutrition Over Easy)
• Groups Sue FDA Over Use of Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed <<This is awesome, and I hope it forces some action from our government to fight the dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria that are being bred in industrial farms. (Wall Street Journal)
• Is That “Organic” Egg A Good Egg? <<I always struggle to convey the degrees of “healthy” in different eggs. Now there’s a handy scorecard to help out. (Consumerist)
• POM Wonderful Health Claims for Juice Lack Scientific Support, U.S. Says <<And this is why I always take immediate action whenever a POM ad happens to slip onto this site pretending to be healthy. I’m not cool with that. (Bloomberg)
• Loading up on calcium won’t eliminate osteoporosis risk, study says <<It also raises risk of heart disease and prostate cancer. Please don’t go nuts with the supplements. (Los Angeles Times)
• Quinoa with Currants, Dill, and Zucchini Recipe <<I only recently discovered how well dill and grains go together. Very much looking forward to trying this recipe. (101 Cookbooks)
• Food Is Political Says Outspoken Chef Alice Waters <<Alice Waters sometimes biffs it for the food movement, but this time she nails it. Definitely worth a watch. (Wall Street Journal)

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/VideoPlayerMain.swf

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

If you haven’t yet, please vote at Quirky to help us pick the final look of my farmers market bag. We’re almost done!

Great reading this week about why the case against saturated fat isn’t as strong as you thought, the role of fish in vision maintenance and the importance of childhood nutrition.

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For a complete list of my favorite stories check out my links on Digg. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• The New USDA Dietary Guidelines: Total Hogwash, and Here’s Why <<Please read this. It’s really more about why saturated fat isn’t bad for you, and other nutrition myths promoted by health experts. It’s long and sciencey, but important. (Raw Food SOS)
• If you want lasting vision, eat those omega-3s <<We spoke this week about the importance of eating green leafy vegetables for vision. A reader pointed out fish is also important, and it seems he’s right. (MSNBC)
• GM alfalfa: the politics explained <<I’ve had a lot of questions about the genetically modified alfalfa ruling last week, here’s some of the details on what went wrong. (Food Politics)
• Diet soda and heart, stroke risk: A link doesn’t prove cause and effect <<Great identification of BS of the week by LA Times. Be careful with your science.
• Processed Food Diet in Early Childhood May Lower Subsequent IQ <<Isn’t this lovely? You are what you eat as a child. (ScienceDaily)
• Exercise Helps Overweight Children Think Better, Do Better in Math <<Hmmm, it’s starting to sound like eating right and exercise is healthy for children. Go figure. (ScienceDaily)
• The difference between fructose and glucose: it’s not all in your mind <<Interesting new data about how differences in sugar type effect brain activity. (Los Angels Times)
• The 21 Funniest Menu Fails EVER (PHOTOS) <<High-quality childish humor up in here. (Huffington Post)
• Prenatal Exposure to Pesticides May Harm Kids’ Development <<Stuff like this really scares me. How about you? (Medline)
• Everyday Chickpea Salad <<This recipe looks absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to try it. (ShutterBean)

What inspired you this week?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

Many thoughtful stories on the internets this week. I love JC’s piece on clean eating and food dogma. And if you’re curious about genetically modified salmon or other foods, I’ve included some very informative links. Enjoy 🙂

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For a complete reading list join me on Digg. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• In Worries About Sweeteners, Think of All Sugars <<You call it corn syrup, I call it corn sugar, but the reality is it’s all the same unhealthy junk. This is a great explanation of the similarities and differences between sugar types. (New York Times)
• Clean Eating: Why I Still Call it a Scam <<Very thought provoking piece on food dogma. If you’re low-carb, paleo, Atkins, vegan or locavore, you should probably read this. (JCD Fitness)
• FDA to consider OK of genetically engineered salmon <<BS of the week. You know how it’s bad to have milk from cows that have been given growth hormones? Well these fish have extra growth hormones (from other animals) added directly to their DNA! You shouldn’t need a PhD in molecular biology to understand what you’re eating. (CNN)
• Genetically modified foods in supermarkets: how many? <<Great article explaining the extent of GM foods in supermarkets. (Food Politics)
• Making healthy food is easy. Making people eat it is not. <<The first part of this statement is true, but not in the way they mean. Fake, processed, “healthy” food tastes like cardboard. But in my experience getting people to eat real, seasonal foods is remarkably easy (because they are delicious). And they’re actually healthy. (Economist)
• Gluten-free has gone big time, but why so popular? <<An interesting examination of the gluten-free trend. (Associated Press)
• Last Call for Peaches <<Important safety tip, thanks Sean. (SFWeekly)
• Doctor’s Orders: Eat Well to Be Well <<Excellent article about educating doctors and medical students on the value of nutrition. (New York Times)
• Estimating calories may be more difficult than you think <<The health halo strikes again. (Los Angeles Times)
• Stuffed Indian Eggplant <<This recipe makes me want to eat my computer. Maybe I will. (Mark Bittman)

What inspired you this week?