Eating fruits as part of a healthy, balanced diet is one of the best ways to reduce excess weight. Most fruits are tasty, rich in important nutrients, and low in carbohydrates. Aside from these, they are also low in calories but high in fiber. People who want to cut down on high-calorie carbohydrates such as pasta and rice usually eat more fruits and vegetables to achieve these goals. Bananas are a favorite fruit of many people because they are sweetly delicious and nutritious. However, people who want to lose weight are concerned how many carbs are in a banana. This article discusses the carbohydrate content of bananas.
How Many Carbs in a Banana?
| Raw Bananas | |
|---|---|
| Size |
Carbs Count |
| extra large (> 9") |
35 carbs |
| large (8"- 9") |
31 carbs |
| medium (7"-8") |
27 carbs |
| small (6") |
23 carbs |
| extra small (< 6") |
19 carbs |
| 1 ounce/28g |
6½ carbs |
| one cup mashed bananas |
51 carbs |
| one cup sliced bananas |
34 carbs |
Aside from raw fruit, bananas may be eaten cooked or as part of other prepared foods.
| Other Banana-containing Foods | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name |
Net Carbs (approx, g) |
Sugar (approx, g) |
Fiber (approx, g) |
Total Carbs (approx, g) |
| 1 Banana, baked |
38 |
26 |
4 |
42 |
| 1 Red Banana, fried |
21 |
13 |
3 |
24 |
| 1 Banana Fritter |
10 |
5 |
1 |
11 |
| 1 Banana, covered with chocolate and nuts |
37 |
27 |
5 |
43 |
| Banana Chips, 1 oz |
14 |
10 |
2 |
17 |
| Banana Bread, I slice |
32 |
- |
1 |
33 |
| Banana Cream Pie, 1 pc |
46 |
17 |
1 |
47 |
| Banana Pudding, 1 oz |
6 |
- |
- |
6 |
| Banana Nut Muffin, 1 pc |
68 |
43 |
2 |
70 |
Low Carb Banana Bread Recipe
If you love to eat bananas and bread but are concerned about the amount of carbohydrates you will consume, you can try looking for a low-carb banana bread recipe that will not offset your diet goals. Try using almond meal as a substitute for regular flour or coconut flour, which are commonly used. You can also use a zero-calorie sugar substitute instead of white sugar to cut down on carbs and calories.
Check out this video demonstrating how to make low carb banana bread:
Glycemic Index for Bananas
Foods that cause an immediate increase in blood sugar levels after they are eaten are said to have a high glycemic index. The glycemic index of bananas depends on their ripeness because their starch content may be less easily digestible when they are unripe (still green). In contrast, ripe bananas contain carbs that are more readily converted to sugar available to the body.
A study showed that unripe bananas have a lower glycemic index (30) compared to those that are slightly under-ripe (42) or over-ripe (52). However, in most studies, the degree of ripeness is not specified, and glycemic index for bananas may range from 46-70, with 52 considered as the average.