Bottoms Up! Young People Are Peeling Bananas Like Monkeys Now—And Honestly, They Might Be Right

If your kid recently shouted “Bottoms up!” and peeled a banana from what you thought was the wrong end, don’t panic. You’re not raising a weirdo… they’re just on-trend.

Young adults are flipping the script on how to eat a banana, peeling from the bottom instead of the stem. Why? Because that’s how monkeys do it. Yes, actual monkeys. And it turns out they might’ve been the real experts all along.

In a recent poll, 72% of people said they open bananas from the stem end like “normal humans,” while 20% admitted they go bottom-first. The other 8% weren’t sure, which either means they don’t eat bananas… or they need a nap.

RELATED: LESS THAN HALF OF US SAY TOSSING A BANANA PEEL ON THE GROUND IS LITTERING

But here’s the twist—younger adults are leading the bottom-peeling revolution. One in four millennials or Gen Zers now peel from the “monkey end,” compared to only one in six older adults. It might sound bananas (sorry), but the science checks out: when a banana is ripe, the bottom end is easier to pinch and peel. No more weird bending or smushing the fruit mid-peel.

And while we’re on the topic of banana etiquette, let’s settle some more fruity drama:

🍌 Is it okay to break apart bunches at the grocery store?
57% say yes, it’s fine. But 31% of people say no—those are the folks who still get mad when someone takes the last Timbit.

🍌 How do you like your bananas?

• 54% want solid yellow.
• 21% prefer a little green.
• 15% are fine with some brown spots.
• 4% enjoy chewing on chlorophyll (mostly green).
• And 0% like mostly brown, which means your grandma’s "banana bread bananas" are safe in the freezer where they belong.

Also worth noting: only 1% of people claim to eat the peel. We don’t know who hurt them, but we hope they’re okay.

Bottom line: Whether you're team stem or team monkey, just know the real crime is microwaving fish in the office kitchen. Banana peels? We can work with that.