Banana: how many calories?

Banana carries 89 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (120 g) comes to 107 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g89kcal
  • Protein1.1 g
  • Carbs23.0 g
  • Fat0.3 g
  • Fibre2.6 g
1 portion · 120 g107kcal
  • Protein1.3 g
  • Carbs27.6 g
  • Fat0.4 g
  • Fibre3.1 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 4%
  • Carbs 93%
  • Fat 3%

These percentages come from calories, not from grams: a gram of protein or carbohydrate counts as 4 calories, a gram of fat as 9. Alcohol is left out of the sum, fibre is counted with the carbohydrate, and the total always lands on one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Banana carries 0.9 calories per gram: 100 calories come to 112 grams. This is the typical range of cooked home food — as the portion grows the calories grow with it, and both move at the same pace.

A typical portion is 120 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Banana that means understating the calories by 17%.

In calories, one portion (120 g · 107 kcal) comes to: 123 g Potato — boiled. Potato — boiled page

One portion every day adds up to 38,982 calories a year — roughly a 5.1 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

In fruit and vegetables the calories are diluted by water; the dried form is several times denser at the same weight.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
Tablespoon (15 ml)9.0 g8 kcal0.1 g
Small glass (100 ml)60 g53 kcal0.7 g
Glass (200 ml)120 g107 kcal1.3 g
US cup (240 ml)144 g128 kcal1.6 g
Bowl (300 ml)180 g160 kcal2.0 g
1 medium120 g107 kcal1.3 g

A cup measures 200 millilitres, not 200 grams; the grams in the table therefore come from the food's own bulk density rather than from volume. Packing the cup down or chopping more finely shifts the figure by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 120 g
Calories2,000 kcal4%5%
Fat70 g0%1%
Carbs260 g9%11%
Protein50 g2%3%
Fibre25 g10%12%

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 11 of the 12 foods in the Fruit and vegetables group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 51 kcal; Banana is 75% above that average.

Lighter options at the same 120 grams

FoodCaloriesDifferenceProtein
CucumberGood swap18 kcal−89 kcal0.8 g
TomatoGood swap22 kcal−85 kcal1.1 g
Spinach — boiledGood swap28 kcal−79 kcal3.6 g

The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion

How long does it take to burn one portion (120 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)26 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)12 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h15 min

These minutes are the NET burn for a 70 kg body: the resting calories that would have been spent sitting on the sofa anyway are already taken out of the total. A heavier body gets the same work done in less time. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Banana meets 2 of them:

  • Fat-free100 g → 0.3 g fat · threshold: at most 0.5 g
  • Source of fibre100 kcal → 2.9 g fibre · threshold: at least 1.5 g

The thresholds apply to a product's OWN analysis; the values here come from average composition tables. So this list is not an authorisation, only an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks the energy and fat thresholds are per 100 millilitres and lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.