What is the nutritional value of the banana? What climates are ripe for cultivating bananas? Are bananas healthy for children?

Banana cultivation

• Sources at Purdue University Horticulture department say that the banana is a species of the the Musa plant family (also referred to as the family Musaceae).
• According to Wikipedia, five countries account for the greatest banana production. These include Brazil, China,India, Ecuador and the Philippines.
• Although bananas can be cultivated in most soils, the fruit is intolerant of sodium rich soil. Some banana growers conduct extreme irrigations to filter salt from sodium.

The edible fruit, the banana prefers tropical and humid climates

• Nevertheless, the fruit thrives best in rich, well-drained soil, preferably soil with a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5.
• Bananas are native to extremely warm climate; in particular tropical regions where the climate never freezes.
• Ten to 15 months is the standard span it takes for a banana to produce a flower stalk.  Since the soil conditions in California are not conducive in Southern California, many of the state’s agriculturists belong to California Rare Fruit Growers Association.

Banana Nutrition

• One-hundred and ten is the average caloric value for a medium sized banana.
• Bananas comprise rich sources of potassium and fiber.
• There are 450 milligrams of potassium in bananas, and 3 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein.
• Organic pureed bananas are a nourishing food to serve infants opposed to canned baby food which often contains unnatural additives. In fact the American Academy of Pediatrics deems Bananas to be a safe an pure enough for a baby’s first solid food.

How often do you eat bananas? What is types of edible fruit do you enjoy in a fruit basket?