The banana is one of the most popular fruits but it also has a bad reputation as being one of the most high-calorie fruits as well. Today we clarify how many calories bananas really have and how the nutrients and calorie content vary between fresh and baked bananas.

Regardless of whether they are chopped up in muesli, made into a smoothie or eaten on their own in between meals, bananas are a delicious and well-balanced snack. Each 100 g of this sweet tropical fruit contains 89 calories. In concrete terms, this means that an average-sized, peeled banana clocks in at about 100 calories – depending on size, this may sometimes be somewhat more or less than this. In comparison, an apple contains roughly 55 calories per 100 g. The banana is therefore one of the most high-calorie fruits. This is due to its high carbohydrate and fructose content: 100 g of the yellow fruit contains 22.8 g of carbohydrates, of which 12.2 g is fructose. Depending on how ripe the banana is, the calorie content fluctuates according to the proportion of starch and fructose. During the ripening process, the starch is converted into fructose, glucose and sucrose, increasing the sugar content and consequently the calorie content. This is also reflected in the taste of the banana: the riper it is, the more intense its sweetness.

Does the calorie and nutrient content change when bananas are processed?

As a matter of fact it does. If a banana is not eaten in its raw state, this affects both the calorie content and the nutrients. While a baked banana has just a few more calories than a large, fresh banana, a dried banana, in particular, has a high energy density and thus more calories. This is due to the fact that the fructose becomes more concentrated when the water is removed. The drying process makes a big difference, and the banana weighs in at just under 350 calories per 100 g. But banana chips are the real calorie bomb: each 100 g contains more than 500 calories. Processing the banana also changes its nutritional value: baking it increases the fat content by a multiple of four; at the same time, the carbohydrate value falls to one-sixth. In the case of banana chips, the carbohydrate value more than doubles and the fat content is as much as 100 times that of a raw banana.

In general, then, a raw banana is the best and healthiest snack.

Your Dole Team