Lockdown diaries, day twelve, going bananas

That should last a few days at least

Day twelve, Tuesday 10^th November 2020 

Today has been a bit of a no news day. We had planned to pop out and buy some local vegetables, but they are so fresh, they are still in the soil and won’t be available until Thursday, so I can’t really complain at that. 

We all kept ourselves busy with our own projects, in our own spaces, as we watched the afternoon rain through windows that could do with a clean. It felt like a comfort food sort of day, so to cheer us up I decided it will be homemade lasagne tonight, using up any leftover veggies from last week’s shop.

 

Going bananas

I’ve never been a fan of bananas, finding neither the smell, flavour nor texture appealing in any way. Over the years I’ve done my best to avoid them, even going as far as picking out every dried banana chip in a newly opened packet of muesli before eating it. In fact, I stopped buying one brand when they changed their chip sizes. Whole slices were easy to spot and remove, the new smaller chips would hide among the edible cereal and ambush my breakfast bowl. When Ed was taking his first steps in solid foods, mashed banana was one of his favourites, but the smell of the ripe fruit as I squished it through a sieve, still hits the back of my throat even now almost twenty years on. I’ve often referred to them as the food of the devil, but my attitude is softening. 

 

Two years ago, when Adrian was diagnosed with high blood pressure and an internet search showed how beneficial a daily banana could be to his heart health, I allowed them to make an appearance in my kitchen once more. They are a great source of potassium, which is an important electrolyte that helps to regulate heart function, fluid balance and therefore blood pressure, as well as being a good (prebiotic) gut-friendly source of fibre. 

 

Two weeks ago, a strange feeling came over me, compelling me to try and include a daily banana in my diet. The first day was the toughest as my natural gag reflex did it’s best to fight back, but a not too ripe banana, sliced thinly on my fruit, oat and yoghurt breakfast has so far been a success. I’m still not sure I could eat one by itself, so on a Sunday when I swap my healthy breakfast for a croissant, I allow myself the real treat of a banana free day. They are still a firm favourite with Ed, so between the three of us we are now munching our way through around twenty bananas a week. As none of us are too keen on overripe bananas hanging around, it does at least give us a legitimate excuse to get on the bikes for fresh supplies every three or four days.

 

There have been many seismic shifts to our lives this year, thanks to Covid-19

(Adrian no longer travelling or working away from home for the first time in our lives together, Ed back home full time (again) and the urge to start decorating after a pause of around ten years, being just a few), but no way did I foresee that I’d become a daily banana muncher. Strange times indeed.