Plantain and Its Nutritional Value

Plantain belongs to the Musacace family and is cultivated in many tropics and subtropical countries of the world. It ranks third after yams and cassava for sustainability in Nigeria.

Plantain (Musa Paradisiaca) is a rhizomatous perennial crop used as a source of starchy staple for millions of people in Nigeria. Mature plantain pulp is very rich in iron, potassium, vitamin A and ascorbic acid but low in protein. Plantains do not contain any fat, sodium or cholesterol, making the fruit heart-healthy, a serving of plantains also has 2g of fiber and 1g of protein.

According to "Medicinal Uses of Fruits and Vegetable’ unripe plantain contains special dietary fibre called pectin, which increases the number of calories ingested thus can shed weight or treat obesity.

According to the Produce for Better Health Foundation, regular consumption of fruits like plantains helps prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. The beta carotene content in plantains helps protect your eyesight.

Unripe plantain meal is usually consumed by Nigerian diabetics to reduce postprandial glucose level. This is because the propensity of individuals to develop diabetes and obesity is due to the increased consumption of carbohydrate rich foods with a high Glycemic index.

The benefits of plantain are just unparalleled. They are usually cooked and consumed; plantain is known to benefit health in more one way.

Plantain juice can be effectively used to treat sunburn, ulcers, scalds and burns. It is treated as an effective substitute for aloe vera.

It is very effective for treating liver sluggishness and inflammation of the digestive tract too.

Plantain is also used as a vulnerary to treat cuts and wounds.

It is touted as a wonderful blood cleanser. It is also an effective cure against venomous snake bites and scorpion stings.

It can be consumed in the following ways

1.    Boiled plantain

2.   Roasted plantain (popularly called “bolae” or “bolle” in southern Nigeria.

3.    Fried plantain

4.    Boiled and pounded plantain 

5.    Plantain flour

The roasted plantain meal had the lowest Glycemic index for dietary staples to control and reduce hyperglycemia is essential in the treatment of diabetes. It controls spikes in blood glucose levels.

How to prepare plantain and cow tail
Wash the plantain and peel off the skin. Scrape the strands off the peeled plantain and keep aside to be used as thickener.

Chop the plantain into big chunks. Blend a lot of crayfish and clean the dried fish. Cook the cow tail. Place the plantain in a pot and add a little quantity of water. Add the onions, pepper, and salt, cubed seasoning and allow cooking till the plantain is a bit soft.

Add the crayfish and dried fish and the cow tail. Add a bit of groundnut oil; but in the absence of that, you could use vegetable oil. Allow to cook thoroughly to remove the raw taste of the groundnut oil. Stir. Add the shredded scent leaves and allow simmering for a while. Then serve to be consumed.

Have you eaten plantain today?