The #1 Change I Noticed When I Ate a Banana Every Day for a Week

Bananas are one of those foods we typically take for granted. Unlike other fickle fruits and veggies, they tend to be available year-round at the grocery store for a low-ish price, and you can pretty much guarantee that most bananas will taste great as long they're not too green or too brown.

Bananas are loaded with health benefits too. One banana provides about 9% of the average person's daily potassium needs and three grams of fiber. They also pack quite a bit of vitamins B6 and C, and are an excellent source of carbohydrates. At 100 calories each, it's safe to say that bananas are the perfect low-calorie snack. 

Because this holiday season isn't exactly famous for being the healthiest (understatement of the year, I know!), I decided the least I could do between the Christmas cookies and cocktails was to incorporate a daily banana. Not only are they completely safe to eat every day, according to registered dietitians Parade has consulted on the matter, but eating a banana a day is a very good idea health-wise as well. 

Here's the top change I noticed when I ate a banana every day—and other perks I noticed, too.

The #1 Change I Noticed From Eating a Banana Every Day

This time of year, bloat is a huge problem for me. Not only am I eating more sugar and nutrient-void foods than usual, but I'm eating a lot of foods I don't usually eat and drinking more alcohol. The result is a lot of bloat and a less regular digestive process. Sure, the food tastes great, but my stomach is not happy by the end of December.

It's hard to believe a daily banana would make a difference, but I found that when I had a banana with breakfast every day, by the end of the week, I was significantly less bloated. 

This makes sense: Bananas have both fiber and prebiotics, which are both known to be helpful for gut health and digestion. 

Related: The Best Supplement for Bloating, According to a Registered Dietitian

Other Changes I Noticed From Eating a Banana Every Day

Less bloating was probably the biggest change I noticed from eating a banana every day, but it certainly wasn't the only one. Here are some of the other changes I noticed from a daily banana:

I wasn't as tired

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a banana a day gave me significantly more energy. While I'm a pretty energetic person in general, the busyness of the holiday season tends to leave me feeling exhausted. 

When I ate a banana every day, I didn't feel the same kind of heaviness and exhaustion that I did on a regular basis. And you know what? It felt great.

Related: 5 Blood Tests to Ask For If You Feel Tired All the Time

I didn't feel as hungry throughout the rest of the day

Bananas are packed with fiber, which is known for keeping you fuller for longer. I didn't expect one banana to really make a difference in how full I felt, but I was very wrong about that. 

While I usually reach for a 10 a.m. snack, when I had a banana with breakfast, I noticed that I was able to make it all the way to lunch without grabbing a snack. Once, I didn't have a banana with breakfast but had it with lunch, and was able to make it to dinnertime without getting hangry.

Related: The 19 Best Fat-Burning Foods

I didn't crave as many sugary foods

When I'm eating a lot of sugar, I tend to never feel like I can get enough. In other words, sugar begets more sugar. But when I ate a banana every day, I didn't crave sugar as much. This was probably because the banana itself when paired with a protein source like plain yogurt or a hard-boiled egg, stabilized my blood sugar and reduced my sugar craving as a result.

One banana was not enough for breakfast

A banana is an easy thing to grab when you're running out the door or need a quick snack when you're busy. But if you're going to try the whole "banana a day" thing, let me be the one to warn you: it is not enough for a meal. This makes sense since it's only 100 calories, but it wasn't something I really thought through when I opted for a banana (and only a banana) for breakfast.

The one day I did that, I was starving and crabby by lunchtime. While a banana is great for a quick snack, for breakfast, I highly recommend pairing your banana with a protein source. 

Do I recommend eating a banana every day? Absolutely. You'll notice changes the first day you do it, and by the end of the week, you might just feel like a whole new person. One thing's for sure: I'm planning to eat a banana every day through the end of the holiday season—at least. 

Next up: 50 Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas That Don't Involve Eggs