Let's get under the skin of the banana. Before we take a bite, as it is or cooked, let's take a look at its nutritional qualities. We asked Edwige, dietitian, a bunch of questions. And we got some answers. Keep your eyes peeled!
Bananas, the fruit as intriguing as it is popular. An everyday hero, loved by the whole family. So we investigated: are bananas overrated? One could rightly say that it is a strangely popular fruit, for no apparent reason except for its practicality. Could there be a hidden drawback, like the calorie count of a banana perhaps?
To try to find out, we spoke to Edwige, freelance dietitian. Edwige is upbeat and friendly, passionate about her role in relieving guilt and helping people to have a healthy relationship with food. During our conversation, she told us everything we could possibly want to know about this fruit and, the least we can say, is that our discussions were fruitful (OK, that one was easy)!
Spoiler alert: bananas have real nutritional benefits. With so much energy, vitamins and minerals in every bite, it would be a shame not to indulge. And not too high in calories either! You might be wondering: how many calories are in a banana anyway? And how much sugar is in a banana?
Bananas have 90 kcal per 100 grams. But what matters most is what the calories are made of. Those 90 calories are not "empty". What are empty calories? You might have heard of these calories that have no nutritional value, and are not useful to our body.
In terms of sugar, aka carbohydrates, bananas are known to be high in them. To give you an idea: on average, 100 grams of fruit contains around 10 to 15% carbohydrates and bananas contain 20%. What are carbohydrates used for? These are the body's main source of energy. Whatever activity you are doing at any given time, your body is using carbohydrates. It quite literally is your fuel. By eating a banana, you are not consuming "calories" but instead fuelling your energy.
Generally eaten cooked, it is a little higher in calories and contains more carbohydrates. 100 g of plantain contains approximately 116 kcal and 31 g of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates: check! But what else is in a banana?
Let's take a look at its composition!
In short, 100 grams of banana contains:
Approx. 20 g carbohydrates
Approx. 1 g protein
Less than 0.5 g fat
Approx. 75 g water
Plus:
Resistant starch. What's that? It's a complex carbohydrate, a longer chain than regular starch. How is it different? It is not absorbed by the small intestine and therefore reaches the large intestine intact. This makes it a longer lasting source of energy. It is also beneficial for gut health.
Here's another tip: banana is the only fruit that contains resistant starch. And it contains more of it when it is green. It is also found in potatoes, rice, oats and legumes, to name a few.
Vitamin B6. It contains, on average, 0.18 mg per 100 g, more than 12% of the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin B6 contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, immune system and psychological processes, helps to reduce fatigue and exhaustion, and aids hormonal regulation.
Source of manganese. 0.36 mg per 100 g, i.e. 18% of the recommended daily allowance. Manganese contributes to normal energy metabolism, the maintenance of normal bones, the normal formation of connective tissue and the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Source of potassium. 320 mg per 100 g, i.e. 16% of the recommended daily allowance. Potassium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, normal muscle function and maintenance of normal blood pressure.
Fat. Good news, in a banana, there is almost none: 0.5 g per 100 g.
100 g of banana here, 100 g of banana there. Fine, but how much does a banana weigh? On average, 120 grams. Let us do the maths for you: there are approximately 108 kcal in a banana.
If you want to lose weight, for whatever reason, eating bananas is neither to be avoided nor to be encouraged. There is a lot more to weight loss than any one single food (confirmed by our nutritionist)! Learning how to eat a balanced diet often goes hand in hand with exercise. This is where bananas really come into their own. We'll tell you a little more about it later.
Bottom line: food is neither good nor bad. It always provides you with something. You should take pleasure in eating because you need that fuel to do everything you want to do in life. Your body is fabulous, it is what allows you to achieve your goals.
100 g of banana contains 20 g of carbohydrates. And the riper the banana, the more it contains*. Carbohydrates are essential for athletes: they are a good source of energy. Ripeness has an impact on blood sugar levels, a ripe banana is a source of fuel that is readily available and quickly absorbed. A point to note: it takes between 45 minutes and an hour to digest a banana, depending on the person. Therefore, if you are planning on eating one before your sports session, take this factor into consideration.
It is also useful in the context of nutritional recovery, after exercise. Why? Because it is the main energy source the body draws from during exercise, so, after a sports session, our carbohydrate reserves are empty! Eating a banana after your gym session, run, tennis match or any other sport is a great idea.
A banana is a useful fruit in terms of both its functional and nutritional benefits. Its benefits for athletes are not negligible.
In theory, it's not complicated, but there are some subtle differences: ripe, raw, cooked, in the morning, in the evening, every day? We answer all these questions.
This question is relevant since it is specific to bananas: their ripeness impacts their nutritional concentration. The riper a banana is, the more carbohydrates there are and the higher its glycaemic index. This does not change the calorie count.
When it is green, the glycaemic index of a banana is lower. This is why it is recommended for people with diabetes to eat bananas that are not too ripe.
How to recognise a ripe banana? By the colour of its skin. Black spotted skin is a sign that it is extra ripe. It's no more complicated than that.
Does cooking the fruit change anything? Yes and no (helpful, I know). Cooking a banana changes its energy value: there is less water, for example. Its value changes but it does not decrease. In addition, it is often the way it is cooked that has the biggest influence. Especially if you use fat. So, even if the nutritional properties differ, it is still of value when it is cooked. In terms of its texture, if it is mashed for example, this does not change its nutritional value.
Another question? Organic or not organic? In terms of nutrition, it is the same, especially since you do not consume the skin. But if you can, organic is best, but for other reasons.
The age-old question: can we eat bananas every day and, well, the answer is it depends! Bananas are fruit. Considering the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, eating a banana a day is better than eating no fruit at all! However, because it is rich in carbohydrates, if you have certain health conditions, daily consumption may not be recommended. For example, we are not going to encourage a person with diabetes to eat one every day. On the other hand, if you have no issues or conditions, there is no reason why not. In summary, everything in moderation. It is best to eat a varied diet.
The WHO recommends eating at least 400 g, or 5 servings, of fruit and vegetables per day. This "reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases and helps ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre".
Of course, we are not here to forbid anything! But we can answer these questions: when to eat a banana, and, is it OK to eat it in the evening?
From a purely dietary point of view, there is no best time to eat it. It depends on your needs. If you need a fast source of energy, eat it! That being said, we can assume that in the evening, eating a banana is of no real interest given its carbohydrate content. This doesn't mean that you can't. If you want a banana, go for it!
Generally, bananas are eaten as they are. It's usually not until they start to get too ripe that we get creative. We asked Edwige, our interviewee and dietitian, to give us her favourite recipes.
Why is this a good idea? Because the banana is combined with other fruits, and consumed raw. So we get all the benefits.
The recipe: in a blender, add 2 chopped bananas (or a large banana), the flesh of an avocado, 125 g of raspberries and 15 cl of apple juice and blend until smooth.
Why is this a good idea? Because it's quick to prepare as a snack or breakfast. And because the banana is raw it retains its nutritional qualities.
The recipe: onto a bowl of yoghurt (vegan, sheep or cow), sweetened or natural, arrange (as a topping) banana slices, granola and grated coconut. And as an added bonus: add fruits, seeds and grains of your choice.
A perfect recipe for not wasting ripe bananas.
The recipe:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
Combine 80 g of softened butter, 75 g of brown sugar and 75 g of granulated sugar. Mix in 2 eggs, one by one and add 2 previously mashed ripe bananas, with a dash of vanilla extract.
Combine the dry ingredients: 100 g flour, 90 g ground hazelnuts, 1 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt. Then, add it to the previous mixture. Finish by incorporating 100 g of chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into a cake tin, place a banana cut in half lengthways on top, a few crushed hazelnuts and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the tin once the banana bread has cooled.
Enjoy!
The good news: it also works the other mornings of the week.
The recipe:
Mash a ripe banana and add 2 tbsp of flour (or oats) and a beaten egg.
Stir in 2 tbsp of dark chocolate chips and a pinch of tonka bean powder (optional).
Melt 1 tsp of coconut oil (or butter), and pour the batter into the pan. Once the pancake is golden, flip it and cook the other side.
Source: Breakfast gourmand - Édition Marabout
Go to our "healthy recipes" section to get your fill of tasty treats.
As you have seen, bananas are definitely not overrated. They are a fruit that can rightly be described as "healthy". Bananas contain vitamins and minerals: vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese. And as an added bonus: their resistant starch content, when they are consumed not too ripe.
Boxing and Pilates, paradoxical practices that represent me perfectly. It's a question of balance. Between the slowness of the movements and the stress relief. But, also, between my other interests, including writing. With my (digital) quill, I put everything into words, for everyone.