Bananas, Flesh Only
Introduction
Bananas are a soft, elongated fruit produced by several large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa; they are typically eaten raw when ripe but can also be cooked or baked in recipes such as fritters, breads and savoury dishes.
Ripe bananas are usually yellow — this colour comes from the breakdown of green chlorophyll and the unmasking and synthesis of yellow carotenoid pigments as the fruit matures — while unripe bananas are green and overripe bananas turn brown as sugars caramelise and cell walls break down.
Nutritionally, bananas are a good source of carbohydrate (primarily sugars and starch), provide dietary fibre (including pectin), and contain notable amounts of potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin C; they also supply smaller amounts of magnesium, manganese, folate and trace vitamins and minerals.
Nutrition Snapshot per 100g
Kcal nn kcal
Protein nn g | nn %
Fat nn g | nn %
Carbohydrates nn g | nn %
Percentages reflect this food’s Balance*
Fibre nn g
Total Sugars nn g
Saturated Fat nn g
Salt nn mg
Nutritional values are per 100g and sourced from UK CoFID data.
Carbohydrates value includes Fibre (AOAC method).
Carbohydrates value includes Total Sugars including naturally occurring sugars such as glucose, fructose, lactose or sucrose.
Balance*
The Balance value expresses how protein, carbohydrate and fat contribute to a food’s total energy.
Using CoFID data per 100g, each macronutrient is converted into energy using the standard Atwater convention (protein × 4 kcal, carbohydrate × 4 kcal, fat × 9 kcal). The energy from each macronutrient is then calculated as a percentage of the total macro energy.
This provides a simple way to see whether a food is predominantly carbohydrate-based, protein-based or fat-based.
It does not determine whether a food is “good” or “bad”, but helps visualise its macronutrient profile within a broader eating pattern.
When assessing a full meal or daily intake, portion sizes should be taken into account.
Why this matters
Understanding the structure of individual foods can help you make more confident decisions when adjusting to a health diagnosis or long-term condition.
If you are organising meals, tracking intake or reflecting on patterns, you may find the Aardelia digital journals helpful.