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May 29, 2024
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits on the planet, but have you ever wondered how many carbs in a banana there are? Or how many calories in a banana?
Bananas come in their own yellow package, making them easy to take with you on the go, and banana nutrition contains several important vitamins and minerals, in addition to carbohydrates, which are some of the reasons bananas are so popular among athletes.
However, in order to get to their carb state, they must ripen. Once they do that, you may wonder how many carbs in a banana are there.
A green banana contains more starch, but as it ripens, it converts to sugar — therefore offering carbohydrates. Bananas are also easy on the stomach — another reason they’re a main source of fuel for athletes.
All bananas are not created equal. Nutritionally, they’re about the same, but in terms of calories, it depends on the size of the banana.
Keep reading to find out how many carbs in a banana and how many calories in a banana there are.
How Many Calories In a Banana?
An average-sized banana is usually about 100 calories, but like all foods, portions and sizes matter. From the USDA, here is a banana chart to get a better idea of how many calories in a banana there are:
- Extra small (less than 6 inches, 81 g): 72 calories
- Small (6–7 inches, 101 g): 90 calories
- Medium (7–8 inches, 118 g): 105 calories
- Large (8–9 inches, 136 g): 121 calories
- Extra large (9 inches or longer, 152 g): 135 calories
- 1 cup sliced (150 g): 134 calories
- 1 cup mashed (225 g): 200 calories
The majority of banana’s calories (around 93 percent) come from carbohydrates, next to around 4 percent from protein and 3 percent from fat.
How Many Carbs In a Banana?
Also from the USDA, here is a look at how many carbohydrates are in different sizes and portions of bananas:
- Extra small (less than 6 inches, 81 g): 18.5 carbs
- Small (6–7 inches, 101 g): 23 carbs
- Medium (7–8 inches, 118 g): 27 carbs
- Large (8–9 inches, 136 g): 31 carbs
- Extra large (9 inches or longer, 152 g): 35 carbs
- 1 cup sliced (150 g): 34.2 carbs
- 1 cup mashed (225 g): 51.3 carbs
The carbohydrates in bananas are not unlike other carbohydrates; the difference lies in the fiber. One medium banana contains 3 grams of fiber. While the banana has plenty of carbohydrates — in fact, more than an orange — it also contains fiber and starch.
As a high-fiber food, bananas can make you feel fuller longer since carbs digest far faster and promote satiety. Fiber also helps slow the release of the carbs into the bloodstream.
However, it’s important to note that bananas can have a greater effect on blood sugar levels than oranges or strawberries. What that means is that they have more carbs and, ultimately, a higher glycemic index and glycemic load.
Glycemic index and glycemic load measure blood sugar levels, which can be really important to diabetics. Still, many consider the banana a smart choice for keeping blood sugar in good order.
Bananas are also popular with anyone who is on a carb cycling diet, aka when you eat more carbs on certain days. So how many grams of carbs per day do you need, and how many carbs in a banana do you want to consume?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates account for around 45 percent to 65 percent of one’s daily calories. If you aim to eat 2,000 calories per day, that means 900 to 1,300 calories from carbs — roughly 225 to 325 grams.
Other Nutrients
Along with being very high in carbohydrates, bananas are also high in multiple minerals and vitamins. One medium banana (118 g) contains approximately:
- Vitamin B6: 0.4 mg (24% DV)
- Manganese: 0.3 mg (13% DV)
- Copper: 0.1 mg (11% DV)
- Vitamin C: 8.7 mg (10% DV)
- Potassium: 358 mg (8% DV)
- Riboflavin: 0.1 mg (8% DV)
- Magnesium: 27 mg (6% DV)
- Pantothenic Acid: 0.3 mg (6% DV)
- Folate: 20 mcg (5% DV)
- Niacin: 0.7 mg (4% DV)
*Daily Value: Percentages are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day.
As you can see, bananas are particularly in vitamin B6. This vitamin is needed to help make amino acids, the building blocks of proteins and hundreds of cellular functions.
It’s also fairly high in the minerals manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium. These minerals help make green banana flour popular, along with its resistant starch, also known as insoluble dietary fiber.
One study determined that green bananas seem are a good source of fibers, vitamins, minerals, bioactive compounds like phenolic compounds and resistant starch. These nutrients potentially contribute to health benefits and make green bananas a functional food.
Final Thoughts
- Bananas are one of the easiest and healthiest foods for on-the-go and can add nutrition to any recipe.
- Wondering how many carbs in a banana there are? Naturally, how many carbs in a banana depends on the size.
- In addition to the health benefits this nutritional self-contained powerhouse offers, the carbohydrates are a great source of energy while being easy to digest. Consider having a few bananas a week as part of your routine.
