Today, we’ll answer a very interesting question: plantain vs banana. Which one of these is packed with the most nutrients? Is it the plantain, or the banana?
Nutritional benefits of plantains:
- Plantains are high in fiber content. This makes you feel full for longer period of time, reducing frequent cravings for food. Thereby, in the long run, it can help with weight loss.
- Plantains are extremely rich Potassium and Magnesium.
- Plantains are rich in vitamins, specifically Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6.
- Even though plantains are rich in starch, they are comparatively very low on the glycemic index scale. Consumption of plantains helps diabetic patients.
- Plantain prevents gastrointestinal infectious diseases.
- Plantain chips (with less salt or no salt) have more nutrients than the fresh ones!
- Plantain takes longer to digest, keeps you full, which benefits diabetic patients and, also for weight loss.
Here is a table with the nutrition data for one medium-sized (about 118 grams) plantain:
| Nutrient | Amount per 1 medium-sized plantain |
|---|---|
| Calories | 144 |
| Carbohydrates | 37.8 g |
| Protein | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| Fiber | 2.0 g |
| Potassium | 716 mg |
| Vitamin A | 174 IU |
| Vitamin C | 22.4 mg |
| Calcium | 6 mg |
| Iron | 0.7 mg |
Note: The nutritional values may vary slightly depending on the size and ripeness of the plantain. The values listed above are approximate and based on a medium-sized, ripe plantain.
Nutritional benefits of Bananas:
- Bananas are also packed with minerals, specifically, Potassium, Magnesium and Iron.
- Bananas contains good amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6.
- Major win for bananas is, they are rich in Anti-oxidants.
Here is a table with the nutrition data for one medium-sized ripe banana (about 118 grams):
| Nutrient | Amount per 1 medium-sized ripe banana |
|---|---|
| Calories | 105 |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Protein | 1.3 g |
| Fat | 0.4 g |
| Fiber | 3.1 g |
| Potassium | 422 mg |
| Vitamin A | 64 IU |
| Vitamin C | 10.3 mg |
| Calcium | 6 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg |
Note: The nutritional values may vary slightly depending on the size and ripeness of the banana. The values listed above are approximate and based on a medium-sized, ripe banana.
Banana’s strength over Plantain’s:
- Plantains have way lower Anti-oxidants compared to banana. The riper the banana, the higher the level of anti-oxidants.
- Plantain causes gas, bloating and flatulence. It aggravates Vata.
Plantain’s strength over Banana’s
- But, Banana’s are very high on glycemic index which could impact the blood sugar levels.
- Compared to plantain, Banana’s nutritional contents are lower.
Overall Plantains have an edge over Banana, especially if you are committed to a weight loss program.
Please checkout our Plantain Dosa, which requires no fermentation, gluten free and quick to prepare. and plantain curry recipe which is also east to make, gluten free, vegan recipe.
These links from sfgate and onegreenplanet provide lot of details and interesting comparisons.
Based on the facts above, make sure to introduce plantain’s in your regular diet. Here are some suggestions for introducing to our daily diet. For breakfast’s, you can have plantain dosa and plantain curry recipe.For the lunch menu, plantain curry or gojju or plantain sambar, are good bets. Avoid plantain for dinner. It can increase gas or bloating.
