Calories in a Banana

The banana is definitely one of the most wonderful fruits that have been given to us by God, but have you ever thought about the calories in a banana?

What makes this fruit so very special?

This fruit is consumed all over the world by athletes. For people who exercise on a regular basis, this fruit is considered to be the core food, as part of their dietary regimen. Bananas have the quality of being able to provide the body of a person with a constant supply of energy and also, this fruit is digested in a slow manner. These are two major reasons that make this fruit an excellent choice with athletes.

So, let us take a look at the amount of calories in a banana

Calorie content of the banana would really be dependent upon how ripe this fruit actually is. In the event that the fruit is riper, this would thus mean that it has higher sugar content in it. As a result of this high content of sugar, the level of calories in this very ripe banana would be low.
For that matter, even the amount of carbohydrate that is present in the banana, would be dictated by the ripeness of the fruit. The level of sugar and the level of starch are dependant upon the ripeness of the banana. The riper the banana, the lower the starch levels and the greater the sugar levels…Meaning, the riper the banana, the less the starch and the more the sugar.

So what do all these facts really mean?

• The main source of calories in this fruit is carbohydrates. The quality of the fruit, would determine the amount of calories in it.
• In a banana weighing one pound and has been peeled, there are 260 calories on an average.
• A small sized banana that has been peeled will normally have 80 calories on an average.
• A banana that is average in size will contain 115 calories on an average.
• Red Bananas, also called plantain bananas, of a small size, would have around 115 calories on an average. A Red Banana weighing around 1 pound will on an average contain 400 calories.

More interesting facts pertaining to calories in a banana

• A banana that gets riper, yellowish in color and is easier to digest, contains only 1% of protein calories and 1 1/2% calories are fats.
• If you are keen on losing weight then it is best that you do not have bananas as these fruit have loads of calories.
• As bananas are a source of tremendous energy, when eaten around 30 minutes before exercise, they are capable of providing a constant source of energy for the exercise routine.

Thus, as can be seen from above, the answer to how many calories in a banana depends on the type of banana and the state of ripeness of it. It is vital that people eating bananas or planning on eating them, know the calories in this fruit. Bananas are extremely important from a dietary aspect and this beautiful gift should thus be eaten wisely.