Unzip a Banana
Mon, February 28, 2022 
Unzip a Banana was a catch phrase for a British TV ad campaign in the 1960s. To this day I cannot peel a banana without thinking, “Unzip a Banana.”
For cyclists a banana has to be one of the most convenient foods you can carry on a ride. It is the perfect size and shape to fit in your jersey back pocket, and comes with its own bio-degradable wrapper. (Its skin.)
An important source of Potassium, the banana is one of the healthiest fruits. Vitamins and minerals are abundant, offering vitamin A, a full range of B vitamins are present with Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, vitamin B6, and of Folic Acid.
There is even vitamin C, with minerals Calcium, Magnesium, with trace amounts of iron and zinc.
About a 100 calories for a small banana to 140 for a large nine inch one, with 36 grams of carbs, it is a good source of energy to take on a ride.
Whenever I went on a long ride, I knew I would need to carry enough fuel for the trip, my choice was often a double-decker sandwich. Three slices of whole grain bread, one layer of butter and cheese, the top layer a sliced banana.
A whapping 600 calories, enough to get me through a long ride. I used cheese or whatever was available at the time. I would sometimes substitute jam or peanut butter.
I cut the sandwich in half, and tightly wrapped the two pieces separately in cling-film so they wouldn’t crumble and fall apart in my pocket. Then I placed both halves in a zip-lock bag.
The sweetness and moistness of the banana made the whole thing very easy to eat. It was cheaper than Energy Bars, and packed a lot more fuel. (Calories.) I find some energy bars are either dry and tough to get down, or tend to melt and get sticky. Plus energy bars may contain certain processed foods and other undesirable ingredients.
I always try to keep bananas on hand, but try not to buy too many at once as they tend to ripen and quickly go soft. If they a over ripe they just end up a mushy mess in your pocket when carried individually, and if this is the case then the best way to carry them is in a sandwich as I have just described.
Another little tip, when you peel a banana, start fom the stem end. You will find you get less of those stringy bits that hang from the side of the fruit.
What is your favorite food to carry on a long ride?
Have you tried "Dave's Bread Pudding?"
To Share click "Share Article" below
Reader Comments (5)
Whole wheat pancakes with mashed up bananas and walnuts added, made to a convenient size, carried in a baggie.
They're not only good to eat but, like you mentioned, the bananas keep them moist and easy to eat.
I carry flour tortillas packed with hummus and feta cheese. I'm diabetic, so I can only eat small amounts of carbs at a time with a little fat to slow digestion. Otherwise, I'd have to stop and give myself an insulin shot each time I eat.
On 80km+ rides I carry sugar water in one of the bottles (a very sugary lemonade, actually). The recipe is simple: around 6–8 big spoons of sugar, the juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of salt, then topped with water.
In Spain we have something called "Pan de higo" (fig bread). Called "bread" but it does not cointain flour, it is just a mass of dried figs with almonds and/or walnuts. Available at any supermarket, moist but not mushy so very easy to carry and eat on the go. 340kcal / 100g with 71g of carbs and 53 of sugars. It is one of my favorite foods on the bike.
Long ago I learned that bananas were nature’s power bar. I have always loved them for that, and they are easy to digest (a great recovery food after intestinal distress). Soft bananas are sweeter and mash up nicely to pair with peanut butter in a sandwich, much like you described.
My only disagreement is with how to open a banana. It only took me 40 years, but I now know that any banana can be opened easily from the non-stem end just by pinching the end - not so with the stem end. It’s still a habit to grab the stem, but give it a shot when you have a stubborn, green banana - it will open without a sharp knife.