Bananas are my go-to snack for many reasons — they fill me up, energize me, and easy to eat on the go. Bananas are also packed with nutrition, but did you know there are lots of ways to use this fruit that don’t involve eating?

Health benefits and flavor aside, bananas can be used for far more than a snack. We’ve rounded up 10 unusual ways to use bananas–both inside and outside the home–that will definitely change your opinion of this common fruit.

10 Unusual Ways To Use Bananas

1. Egg Replacement

Ripe bananas can be used as a vegan replacement for eggs in baked dishes like breads, cakes, and cookies. One mashed banana is equivalent to one egg. This is not only a great way to make animal-friendly desserts but also a way to put overripe bananas to use.

2. One-Ingredient Ice-Cream

Got bananas? A blender? Good. Peel, chop and freeze the banana in a zip-lock bag. Remove from the freezer, and place into a food processor or high-speed blender. Mix until fluffy and smooth. Serve with your choice of mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or dried fruit and nuts.

3. Face Mask

Banana is full of water, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and nutrients. Thus it makes for a great moisturizing face mask. Mash a banana in a small bowl with the back of a fork and apply to a clean face. Let sit for 20-30 minutes before rinsing and drying clean.

4. Shoe Polisher

Want to go au naturel with your shoe polishing? Before dropping that banana peel in the compost pile, let it hit your shoe first. Peel off any stringy skin from the inside of the peel and then rub it against your shoe to shine it. Use a towel to wipe down the shoe after shining.

5. Fertilizer

With more than 10 percent of the RDA of potassium in one serving, bananas offer a great alternative to chemical fertilizer. Dehydrate banana peels during the winter. When spring is just about to arrive, blend the dried banana in a food processor and then use it as mulch for seedlings.

6. Butterflies and Birds

Birds and butterflies are beautiful, especially when they are leisurely flying around your garden. Place overripe bananas on an elevated or hanging platform in the center of your garden. The sugary fruit will attract winged wildlife to your backyard.

7. Pesticide Removal

In a recent study conducted in Brazil, banana peel s were used to remove pesticides like atrazine and ametryne from the water supply.

8. Hair Conditioner

According to Dr. Oz, banana is one of the best natural hair conditioners. All you have to do is blend a few ripe bananas until completely smooth – adding a little water if you need to. Brush the mix into your hair with a fine-toothed comb. Let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing out.

9. Heart Disease Prevention

You love bananas with all your heart, but did you know eating them actually strengthens that very organ? The potassium in bananas helps to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease mortality.

10. Reduce Puffy Eyes

Eat bananas to treat a bloated gut or puffy under eyes. The potassium in bananas reduces water retention in the body. For this effect, you can either consume them or rub the peel under your eyes.

Related on EcoSalon:

Sunday Recipe: Healthy Banana Bread

Fiber Watch: Fabric From Bananas?

Sunday Recipe: Simple Vegan Banana, Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

Photo Credit: Darwin Bell

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As the summer months approach, ice cream ascends the list of foods you crave. And while there is nothing wrong with enjoying the occasional dairy ice cream, a daily jaunt to your local ice cream parlor isn’t doing your bikini body any favors.

Make no mistake; the only other option is to not deprive yourself of summer’s iconic treat. Instead, enjoy it in a different way – a quick-fix, no-fuss vegan way. The following four recipes are basic ice cream recipes that give you the ice cream experience without the heaviness and hard-to-digest dairy. Free free to change them up, adding different textures, such as nuts and dried fruit, as well as additional frozen fruits, such as mangoes and berries.

1. Banana-Based “Ice Cream”

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1 tablespoon sweetener (optional: agave, maple syrup, or sugar)

Directions

Peel the bananas, cut them into chunks, place into a zip-lock bag and freeze. Once frozen, add the bananas to a food processor and blend until smooth and fluffy. Pulse in the sweetener for extra sweetness, if desired.

2. Avocado-Based “Ice Cream”

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup nut milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
• Handful of ice cubes (optional)

Directions

Peel the bananas, cut them into chunks, place into a zip-lock bag and freeze. Once frozen, add them to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

3. Coconut Milk-Based Ice Cream

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) full-fat BPA-free coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash of salt

Directions

Blend the coconut milk with the other ingredients until smooth. Pour mixture into a freezer-safe container. Freeze. Remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature until softened just enough to be scooped with an ice cream scooper.

4. Cashew-Based Ice Cream

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cashews
• 1/3 cup water or nut milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
• Dash of salt

Directions

Cover cashews with filtered water and let them sit in a bowl for up to 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse. Place cashews in a blender or food processor with the water and blend until smooth. You can add more or less water, depending on how thick you want the result to be. Add the vanilla extract, sweetener and salt. For a chocolate version, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Let chill in the refrigerator or freeze.

Photo Credit:  stevendepolo

The post 4 Vegan Ice-Cream Recipes to Satisfy Your Summer Sweet Tooth appeared first on EcoSalon.