I am trying to lose weight and have been told not to eat bananas as they are fattening. Is this true as I see that you consider them to be a “superfood”? S.D.

It depends what you are comparing the banana to when you talk about being fattening. Most of us who have put on extra pounds at some stage in our lives have done so because we have eaten delights such as bars of chocolate, high fat takeaways, tubs of ice cream and packets of crisps. In that comparison, the banana wins “hands down”.

In fact, contrary to popular belief that the banana is fattening, it actually provides one of the most complete meals in history for only 120 calories for a large banana. It is packed with nutrients including Vitamin C and B6, Potassium and Manganese as well as a good helping of fibre. These will not only give you energy, particularly when you have dropped your calorie intake but will also provide you with the fibre needed to help you lose weight.

The banana may have a few more calories than a portion of other fruits such as apples and oranges but you can certainly go ahead and eat a banana several times a week as a healthy snack and it has the added benefit of making you feel a lot more virtuous than eating a bar of chocolate. It also comes ready wrapped and is easy to slip into your handbag or case to eat during the working day.

For more information on nutrients and superfoods visit www.justfoodforhealth.com and if you have any questions that you would like included in the Health and Vitality mailbag send them in strict confidence to sally@moyhill.com