Can Banana Ice Cream Be a Meal?

Disclosure: I do not like plain bananas. They are an excellent portable food, affordable, rich in potassium, fibre-rich, naturally sweet, easy to digest, and fabulous for recovery, available year-round.

If you love them, you are blessed! All this said, this no-cook recipe from the Three Pillars Method caught my eye and looked too tasty not to try.

Banana Ice Cream Ingredients

• 200g frozen ripe bananas

• 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein powder

• 2 tbsp PB Fit or real peanut butter

Blend the frozen bananas first until they reach a soft-serve consistency (similar to frozen yogurt). Add just a little unsweetened almond milk or water if help is needed. Then add protein powder and peanut butter, and blend again.

I had a bunch of frozen ripe bananas in the freezer, but they would have blended better if they had been frozen in slices first. When it was made, I could still taste the banana, but not in an overwhelming way, though I sprinkled some cocoa on top to further mask the flavour. It was good though, and I ate it and was totally full. However, it was calorically dense, albeit from whole foods!

Here's how it compares to an alternative meal:

Banana Soft Serve Bowl:

Calories: 370
Protein: 34g
Carbs: 53g
Fat: 3.5g

Alternative Meal ( 3oz chicken + 3 cups salad + ½ cup rice + TBSP hummus):

Calories: 301
Protein: 33g
Carbs: 30.5g
Fat: 5.2

The banana version has more carbs, but since it's made from a banana, let’s not worry about it. Whole fruit carbs come with fibre, potassium, and nutrients your body can use. When you blend it with protein and peanut butter, it turns into something balanced and filling.

The chicken-and-rice plate has fewer calories but a larger food volume, so it feels like a more substantial meal.

Final Take on Banana Ice Cream

This banana ice cream is an easy way to use ripe bananas sitting in your freezer and is a solid option when:

• You want a sweet, treat-like meal

• You need something cold and quick post-workout or post-hike

• You don’t want to cook and want to avoid grabbing junk.

• It’s hot out!

• You like bananas!🍌