The Food Factor: Banana Boats

Video by Jonathan Parrish.

Do you ever feel like you have to trick your kids into trying new foods or eating healthier options? Sometimes all it takes is a different cooking method to turn a finicky eater into a fan!

Most people don’t think of fruit as a hot treat unless it’s a sugar- and fat-loaded pie or cobbler. These Banana Boats can be cooked on a grill, in the oven, or even over a campfire or fire pit! The best part is their versatility. The original recipe calls for a tropical combination of banana, pineapple, and coconut. But you can try other combinations, too: banana and strawberry, banana and blueberry, or even banana and peanut butter!

Banana Boats

Ingredients:

• 1 banana with peel
• 1 Tablespoon crushed pineapple
• 1 Tablespoon coconut flakes

Instructions:

1. Leave the peel on the banana and make a deep cut down the long side through the peel and into the banana. Do not cut all the way through.
2. Gently pull the cut apart to make a pocket in the banana.
3. Fill the pocket with crushed pineapple and top with coconut flakes.
4. Wrap the banana in foil. Place on a grill or near the coals of a campfire.
5. Heat until warm, about 5 minutes at medium-high heat.
6. Carefully remove the foil packet from the heat. Let cool slightly and remove foil. The peel may be black, but the inside will be warm and delicious.
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes:

• Not grilling? Bake the foil packets in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
• Try other fillings—peanut butter, chopped nuts, other fruit, a drizzle of honey, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. (Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year old.)

Thanks to our friends at Oregon State University Extension’s Food Hero program for this printable recipe!

If you like healthy desserts, don’t miss our popular Tropical Angel Cake recipe!

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