Everything You Need to Know About Banana Nutrition
Bananas are a super food! Here’s all you need to know about banana nutrition! We’ve got the calories, macros, ww points, and 6 tips on how to keep bananas fresh here!
Jump to RecipeFor most of us when we think of our staple grocery items, bananas are on it. So what is so great about bananas?
Bananas are a versatile fruit, they have a mild flavor and can be used in lots of ways. They are great fresh, used in baked goodies and used in frozen treats. Recently there are many vegan desserts using bananas in place of milk in banana ice cream and oils in baked goods, like brownies.
Banana Nutrition Calories and Macros
Like most fruits, bananas are made predominantly of carbohydrates. This makes bananas a great snack for quick energy or to include in a protein shake or other smoothies.
Bananas are also rich in micronutrients like manganese, magnesium, potassium and vitamin B6.
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
An average banana has 105 calories, 0.4 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs, 1.3 grams protein, 3.1 grams fiber, and zero weight watchers points!
There is some interest in the nutrition differences between unripe green bananas and ripe ones.
Green bananas have more starch that does not digest in the small intestine, but rather is more like a fiber and is broken down by the bacteria in the large intestines. They are used to feed those bacteria helping your gut stay healthy.2 Green bananas are not very sweet and do not have the same texture as ripe bananas, so I can see why not many people eat them. There are green banana powders that are marketed to be used for the prebiotic health benefits.
6 Tips To keep Bananas Fresh
If you’re like me you buy bananas every week and by the end of the week there are a few that didn’t get eaten and are too ripe to eat now. So how can you prolong the prime ripe stage?
- Keep them out of direct light, this can be hard in a kitchen, but on top of the fridge or on the counter in the back corner can help
- Keep them out of the fruit bowl away from other fruit, the other fruits like apples and avocados put off a gas that speeds the ripening of bananas
- Don’t leave them in the grocery bag, the bag traps the moisture and gas the bananas give off and cause them to ripen faster
- Keep in a cool spot, if it’s too warm they can ripen quicker, this can be hard in a kitchen, so try to keep them away from the stove
- If you don’t like bruises you can hang them, the hooks to hang bananas on help them to bruise by keeping them off the counter where other fruits or objects can hit them.
- Put them in the fridge, well only if you don’t care about the peel going brown, but the inside will not ripen more. This is great if you want to use them to make oatmeal or other recipes but don’t want to defrost frozen ones.
Some of my favorite ways to use bananas are to eat them raw before they ripen and once ripe freeze from for smoothies and banana ice cream.
I love making frozen treats with bananas, one of my favorites is
chocolate peanut butter bananas slices.
To make these
- Slice the banana long ways and spread a layer of peanut butter on the flat side.
- You can also use peanut butter powder mixed with water.
- Tops with a few chocolate chips, or drizzle with melted chocolate and pop in the freezer to harden.
- Once out you can slice it into pieces and store in a air tight container in the freezer. They’re a great sweet treat to have on hand.
Tasty Banana Recipes
Banana Protein Smoothie Combinations
- Frozen banana, peanut butter or peanut butter powder, milk of choice and protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)
- Frozen banana, few almonds or almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder and milk of choice
- Frozen banana, frozen mixed berries, spinach, vanilla protein powder and milk of choice
- Frozen banana, frozen pineapple and mango, spoonful of canned coconut milk, vanilla protein powder and milk of choice
- Frozen banana, frozen mango, fresh ginger, spinach, ice and water as needed
Hopefully this information about banana nutrition is helpful to you!
More banana recipes
Peanut butter chocolate banana slices
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana sliced in 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter powder
- 2 tablespoons lilys sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
- slice the banana long ways
- Mix peanut butter powder with 1 tablespoon of water, to make a spread.
- Spread peanut butter on the flat side of the banana
- Tops with a few chocolate chips, or drizzle with melted chocolate and pop in the freezer to harden.
- Once out you can slice it into pieces (4 for each side) and store in a air tight container in the freezer. They’re a great sweet treat to have on hand.