Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (meaning they are yellow and fully ripe when eaten) or as green cooking bananas. Bananas are the staple starch of many tropical populations. Depending upon cultivar and ripeness, the flesh can vary in taste from starchy to sweet, and texture from firm to mushy. Both skin and inner part can be eaten raw or cooked.
Bananas are eaten raw as a fruit. Bananas are eaten deep fried, baked, or steamed in rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Banana chips are a snack produced from sliced dehydrated or fried banana or plantain, which have a dark brown color and an intense banana taste. Dried bananas are also ground to make banana flour.
Calories in Banana
Bananas come in different sizes and varieties, hence it is difficult to give a precise idea about calories in a banana. The rough estimate about the number of calories in banana is as follows:
There are approx. 100 calories in a medium sized banana, and 150 calories in a large banana.
The calorie content of bananas are low to medium. Most of the calories in a banana come from carbohydrates, both naturally forming simple sugars and starch forms its carbohydrate content. The protein calories in a banana only make up about one percent of its total calorie content. The calories in a banana are digested slowly and help supply the body with a steady source of energy. Bananas are great for an energy boost if eaten about an hour before physical activity.
| Banana | weight | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Banana Calories |
| Banana Medium with skin | 130g | 1.1g | 21g | 0.27g | 86 calories |
| Banana Large with skin | 170g | 2g | 39g | 0.5g | 162 calories |
| Banana average flesh only | 114g | 1.4g | 17.5g | 0.2g | 108 calories |
| Banana Milk Shake | 100 ml | 18 g | – | – | 140 calories |
Bananas are often prescribed for weight gain and also for weight loss diet. Knowing how much calories are their in the banana you are eating, can help you on planning your weight gain or weight loss diet.
