Drink your bananas.
That’s the motto of Banana Wave, the first non-dairy milk made from bananas, which I accepted an offer to try.
I’ve had soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk, and I still drink a glass of fat-free milk every day, so I was eager to try Banana Wave ($3.88 for a quart). In addition to bananas–with as much potassium as a small banana–it’s made from oats, flax, sunflower and soybeans (non-GMO).
Fortunately, I didn’t taste any of those latter ingredients. Also, I was pleasantly surprised that the liquid wasn’t thick like a cream. I found Banana Wave to be a unique and tasty alternative to both milk and to juice. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and it’s banana-y but not overly so.
Banana Wave also comes in two flavors. I really enjoyed the strawberry flavor, which made up about a third of the taste and reminded me of strawberry-flavored Quik. Meanwhile, the tasty chocolate flavor was more prevalent in the chocolate version, yet still not as strong as the banana. All three versions are the same semi-dark banana color.
I consumed Banana Wave straight up, but it’s versatile enough to use in smoothies, shakes and baking.
As you can imagine, a beverage made from bananas has to have a lot of health benefits. Each 1-cup serving contains 1200 mg. of Omega-3 (DHA) fatty acids, 30% daily value of calcium, 30% calcium and 35% vitamin C, along with 150 calories, 22 g. carbs and 4 g. protein. Plus, Banana wave is lactose-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and grain-free (though packed in a facility that may process wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and/or fish), with no added flavors, colors or preservatives.
Even without preservatives, Banana Wave is shelf-stable, which means that it does not need to be refrigerated until opened. Still, the beverage is better chilled than at room temperature.
Steve Gelerman (aka Mr. Banana) is the CEO of Banana Wave, which formulated its namesake beverage in 2015. He also is the founder of Ian’s Natural Foods, makers of a wide variety of allergy-friendly meal solutions for kids.
Banana Wave is available at various stores including Walmart, Lucky Vitamin and some Woodman’s.
