Princess Anne has a very odd and potentially stomach-churning way of eating bananas.
According to former royal chef Darren McGrady the Princess Royal likes to start her day with a bowl of fruit, kickstarting her metabolism with a naturally sugary kick.
But he claims she used to make a bizarre request for her bananas, preferring them to be out of date.
Mr McGrady told Today: “[Princess Anne] almost always preferred the bananas almost black – overripe – because they digest easier.”
Despite how disgusting it may sound, Anne may have a point as studies show there are benefits to eating out-of-date bananas.
Research shows that when a banana has started to brown, it means all the starch and chlorophyll in the fruit has broken down into sugar.
Brown bananas are typically much sweeter, which is why people often use mushy bananas to bake with.
Further research published in an article on Spoon University reads: “This breakdown of chlorophyll is the reason why antioxidant levels increase as bananas age.
“So a fully brown banana is an antioxidant powerhouse.”
And Princess Anne’s out-of-date bananas are not the only unusual element of the royal’s morning meal.
Tradition states that royals are reportedly never allowed to eat without using cutlery. As a result, senior royals are forced to cut up and eat all produce with a knife and fork.
Mr McGrady explained, “First, the ends of the banana are cut off. Then the banana peel is sliced down the middle from end to end so the unpeeled fruit can be opened.
“The fruit is sliced into circles and eaten with a fork.”
