You’d never guess that these luscious, super chocolaty, brownie bites are made with belly friendly green banana flour which helps promote a healthy, happy gut microbiome, along with other resistant starch foods.
Have you heard the scoop about the health benefits of green banana flour and other resistant starch foods?
Ever since I attended Natural Products Expo West last Spring, I haven’t been able to get my mind off of the ooey, gooey gluten free brownies I sampled, made with organic green banana flour.
They were THAT good.
So, naturally, when I was shopping at Thrive Market {affiliate link}, and saw green banana flour for sale, I had to try it.
Of course that was several months ago, and, up until today, when my chocolate craving officially hit {raise your hand if you’re in this with me!}, I hadn’t opened my bag of green banana flour.
Oh, man.
After making these Happy Belly Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites, I’m SO glad I did!
They’re no-bake, gluten free, vegan, and grain free, and they take less than 10 minutes to make.
Oh, and did I mention they are super duper chocolaty and delicious???
Before I share the recipe with you, let’s talk about the nutrition scoop on resistant starch, so you can learn why you should eat these Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites {other than because they’re delicious!} & other forms of belly friendly resistant starch foods.
What is resistant starch?
Resistant starch, simply put, is a type of starch that is resistant to digestion in the small intestine. It functions similar to soluble fiber, and provides food for the good bacteria in the gut, making it an important addition to a healthy diet. When the friendly bacteria in our guts feed on resistant starch and fermentable fiber, they produce beneficial short chain fatty acids {SCFAs} including acetate, propionate, and, the most important one for digestive and overall health, butyrate.
What are the health benefits of resistant starch?
As the preferred source of energy for the cells of the large intestine, butyrate may provide protection against colon cancer, and may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. In addition, because it helps decrease intestinal permeability, butyrate has a potential therapeutic implication for autoimmune disease, heart failure, and fatty liver disease.
Resistant starch has also been found to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, potentially decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Further research needs to be done, however, because not all studies with resistant starch have shown the same benefits.
In addition, adding resistant starch to meals increases satiety and feelings of fullness, which may aid in weight loss by helping people eat fewer calories.
Importantly, because resistant starch is fermented slowly in the large intestine, it may be better tolerated by individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome {IBS}, and other digestive disorders because it leads to less gas formation than other fibers.
Besides green banana flour, what other resistant starch foods should you be eating?
While underripe bananas, which is what green banana flour is made from, contain some of the highest levels of resistant starch {4.7 grams/1 unripe banana}, other resistant starch foods include: uncooked rolled oats, lentils, white beans, cooked and cooled potatoes {i.e. potato salad}, hi-maize flour, and more. Refer to this list and this list for more resistant starch foods.
Intakes of 6 to 12 grams of resistant starch at a meal have been shown to improve insulin and blood glucose levels, while 20 grams or more per day may be necessary for digestive health benefits.
It’s important to note that resistant starch is lost as foods are cooked, so to get the full health benefits of green banana flour, and other resistant starch foods, they should be eaten in their raw form.
References + Further Reading: Resistant Starch, Butyrate, and Resistant Starch Foods
- Resistant Starch-This Type of Fiber Can Improve Weight Control and Insulin Sensitivity ~ Today’s Dietitian
- Butyric Acid: an Ancient Controller of Metabolism, Inflammation and Stress Resistance ~ Whole Health Source
- Resistant Starch 1-1-Everything You Need to Know ~ Authority Nutrition
- How Resistant Starch Will Help to Make You Healthier and Thinner ~ Chris Kresser
Interested in learning more about what foods to eat for a healthy gut microbiome & digestive health?
- The Best Foods With Prebiotics and Probiotics to Boost Your Health
- How to Cultivate a Healthy Gut Microbiome
[clickToTweet tweet=”Why You should eat these Happy Belly Banana Flour Brownie Bites + Resistant Starch 101 #health #microbiome” quote=”Why You should eat these Happy Belly Banana Flour Brownie Bites + Resistant Starch 101″]
Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup green banana flour {i.e. Let’s Do Organic Green Banana Flour}
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste*
- 2-3+ tablespoons almond milk, or other non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt chocolate chips in the a small microwave safe bowl, on high power, in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and microwave for an additional 30 seconds, or until chocolate chips are fully melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Combine banana flour, chopped pecans, cocoa, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1 minutes then add melted chocolate chips to mixture, and process for an additional 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape side of bowl as needed, until mixture is very fine fine and crumbly.
- Using clean hands, form mixture into 8 ~ 1 inch balls, and place them on a serving dish, or in a storage container. If not consuming all of the Brownie Bites right away, you can store them in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 week,
Notes
Nutrition
*If you’re not already a member of Thrive Market, you can sign up here, through my affiliate link, for a free 30-day trial, and receive 15% off your first order. Disclosure: I receive a commission if you sign up after 30 days, at no extra cost for you. Thrive member typically save 25-50% off their favorite healthy food brands, so the membership usually pays for itself after only 1 or 2 orders.
Let’s Chat!
Have you tried green banana flour before? Did you learn anything about the health benefits of resistant starch in this post? Do you have questions about resistance starch? Are you craving chocolate today too???
Hi There! I’m EA, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in sunny San Diego. I create easy, DELICIOUS gluten free recipes & low FODMAP recipes for a wide variety of diets. Learn more about my nutrition philosophy and my nutrition coaching for digestive health, autoimmune disease, wellness nutrition, & vibrant aging. Sign up for my newsletter, or get in touch~I’d love to connect with you!
