We're in the midst of another banana blitz at my house.

My kids are, thankfully, big eaters of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've already noted their disproportionately large consumption of potatoes, cucumbers and beets, which I think may have something to do with their Russian heritage.

But every few months, I notice another eating trend: A huge consumption of bananas. Huge--a pound every other day huge. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that it has something to do with nutrition that they didn't get early in life.

My older son came home to America at 18 months, but he was about the size of an American six-month-old. Really. It was winter, and bananas were probably the most available fruit at the greengrocer (As a fairly committed environmentalist, I usually buy only what's in season or what's around that's grown closest to home.)

He began consuming three bananas a day, every day, for an entire week. Somewhat fearful of a poop problem--I'd heard bananas could cause constipation--I called my pediatrician. I think I've written before that I was lucky enough to have found a Russian émigré pediatrician who had spent time working in Russian orphanages before coming to America. Her take on it: His body needs the potassium.

The science books will tell you that potassium is needed to keep the body's fluids and electrolytes in balance, and to keep your muscles contracting the way they should. So I have these kids who are doing a crazy amount of catch-up growth--maybe I shouldn't be surprised that they are eating to fuel that growth.

I haven’t found other people writing about this, so I could just be noticing a coincidence. Maybe my kids just like the taste and texture of bananas, which are, I have to admit, appealing. And potassium is pretty plentiful in potatoes, which they probably ate plenty of in Russia. But I will note that my little guy, who arrived here stoop-shouldered, now stands beautifully straight and tall.

Oh, and neither of them ever had a poop problem.