How Many Calories in a Banana?

A medium banana (about 7 to 8 inches long) has roughly 105 calories. That makes it one of the most convenient, affordable and portable snacks in the world. No washing, no cutting, no refrigeration needed. Just peel and eat.

Bananas are the most popular fruit on the planet. About 100 billion are consumed worldwide each year. The average American eats around 27 pounds of bananas annually, which works out to roughly 100 bananas per person. They are the number one selling item at Walmart, ahead of every other grocery product.

Almost all the bananas you see in stores are a single variety called the Cavendish. Until the 1950s the dominant commercial banana was the Gros Michel, which was reportedly sweeter and creamier. A fungal disease called Panama disease wiped out Gros Michel plantations across Latin America, and the industry switched to the resistant Cavendish. That artificial banana flavoring in candy that tastes nothing like a real banana? It was actually based on the Gros Michel.

🍌 Banana Nutrition Facts

🍌 How Many Calories in a Small Banana?

A small banana (6 to 7 inches) has about 90 calories. An extra-small one under 6 inches comes in at around 72 calories. Large bananas over 8 inches can reach 121 calories, and extra-large ones hit about 135. The difference between the smallest and largest banana is roughly 60 calories, so size does matter if you are counting.

🟢 How Many Calories in a Green Banana?

Green and ripe bananas have roughly the same number of calories. The difference is in the type of carbohydrate. Green bananas contain more resistant starch, which acts like fiber and feeds healthy gut bacteria. As bananas ripen, that starch converts to simple sugars, which is why ripe bananas taste sweeter. Some people find green bananas easier on blood sugar levels for this reason.

💪 Are Bananas Good for You?

Bananas get a bad reputation in some diet circles because of their sugar content. But those 14 grams of sugar come packaged with 3 grams of fiber, which slows digestion and prevents the blood sugar spike you would get from the same amount of sugar in a candy bar.

Potassium is the real star. Most Americans dont get enough potassium (the recommended daily intake is 2,600 to 3,400mg), and a single banana provides about 12% of what you need. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure, supports nerve function and reduces the risk of kidney stones.

Athletes love bananas because they provide quick energy from natural sugars plus electrolytes that are lost through sweat. A 2012 study at Appalachian State University found that eating a banana was just as effective as drinking a sports drink during intense cycling.

🍌 The Banana Is Technically a Berry

Botanically, a banana is a berry while a strawberry is not. Berries are defined as fruits produced from a single ovary with seeds embedded in the flesh. Bananas qualify, but strawberries, raspberries and blackberries do not because their seeds are on the outside. Also, bananas are slightly radioactive due to their potassium content (potassium-40 is a radioactive isotope). You would need to eat about 10 million bananas at once for the radiation to be lethal.