How many calories in a banana?

This popular and tasty fruit, a firm favorite with adult and child alike, is rich in vitamins and many other things you need in your diet.

Like all fruits, the banana contains some calories, carbs and "good" sugar, but it provides considerable benefits, such as potassium to keep your body's nervous system working, when the banana is included in the daily diet along with other healthy foods and fruit.

So what number of calories does banana have? The answer to this question involves more than simple counting if nutritional issues are not ignored. The calories in the banana's soft inner core depends of course on its size and weight.

With around 95 calories for a 100 grams serving of banana on average, the small banana's calories (at about 84 grams) will be roughly 80 (extra small maybe 60), while a medium banana will typically contain perhaps 115 calories.

A large banana contains close to 160 calories (extra large maybe 190), so those counting calories for weight loss may view it as really high-calorie food! (So eat a smaller banana...)

The calories in bananas, however, come mainly from carbohydrates (eg fructose sugar) rather than protein and are not digested particularly fast. Whatever their size, this means that bananas can provide an additional quantity of energy from their carbs (and calories) for any strenuous activity or workout - how athletes, for example, may better maintain high energy levels for relatively long periods.

Banana nutritional information

Like all good natural foods, bananas also contribute many benefits to the diet in terms of basic body health. Eating one can help calm an upset stomach, particularly when the fruit has been allowed to ripen. How is it eaten? Either fresh or typically used in simple recipes such as milk shake or banana bread.

Some nutrition facts: ripened bananas have a number of desirable food qualities in addition to their calories. To start with, the banana contains significant amounts of calcium (for teeth and bones), carotene (a source of vitamin A, for retinal health), vitamin C (helps to fight infection), B6 (to maintain metabolism level) and potassium (required for correct neurological function).

As it is low in both protein and sodium, regardless of how many calories in a banana it is clearly a great constituent of a healthy diet. (Don't worry, if the rest of your diet is well balanced you won't go short of either sodium or protein...)

In answer to people trying to lose weight who may view the sugars or carbohydrate content of the banana as something to fear: the facts of weight loss mean that more than ever one needs daily the different kinds of vitamin and natural and useful nutrition and the fiber which foods such as bananas contain, and should not concentrate solely on how many calories there are.

The dietary content of the banana is a recipe for healthy eating. Eat bananas when they are becoming ripe - when black spots are appearing on the skin - otherwise you may lose some of the dietary benefit.