Calories Counting in a Banana

How Many Calories in a Banana?

The banana is called the "the fruit of the wise." It contains vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body. The calories in a banana are digested slowly and help supply the body with a steady source of energy.

Bananas are great for an energy boost if eaten about an hour before physical activity. Bananas may be one of the best fruits to eat when attempting to lose weight. They are full of nutrients for increased energy and vitality. Bananas are also low in calories and fat, plus they have a high water content and potassium levels. A diet high in potassium foods and lower in sodium-loaded processed foods can help reduce weight.

Calories Counting in a Banana

The calories in a banana varies with the banana size. Most of the calories in a banana come from carbohydrates, both naturally forming simple sugars and starch forms its carbohydrate content. The calories in a raw banana according to the banana’s size are roughly as follows:

• About 72 calories in an extra small size banana (<= 80g).
  It contains ~0.27g fat, ~18.5g carbohydrate.
• About 90 calories in a small size banana (<= 100g).
  It contains ~0.33g fat, ~23.1g carbohydrate.
• About 100 calories in a medium size banana (<= 115g).
  It contains ~0.39g fat, ~27g carbohydrate.
• About 120 calories in a large size banana (<= 136g).
  It contains ~0.45g fat, ~31.1g carbohydrate.
• About 135 calories in a extra large size banana (<= 150g).
  It contains ~0.5g fat, ~34.7g carbohydrate.

Calories in a banana do not exceed typical daily calorie requirements and are the satisfying nature of the fruit. As you can see from the above introduction, bananas are high in carbohydrates which may lead some people on low-carb diets to avoid the fruit. But there is a popular 'Morning Banana Diet'. When the Morning Banana Diet was promoted on the Japanese social networking site ‘Mixi’ in March 2008, it became so popular that it resulted in a nationwide banana shortage. The diet is extremely simple and easy to follow, however. Many Japanese have reported rapid weight loss when experimenting with this diet.

Lose Weight by Counting Calories

How to count calories and how to cut them, are key to lose weight on your own. Calorie counting is easy and effective.

The first step to losing weight by counting calories is to understand what a calorie is and how it applies to your weight. A calorie is a unit of measurement that measures the amount of energy contained in a food or beverage. You can easily track your caloric intake online at Calorie Count Plus by searching for and saving the foods and beverages you eat and trackig your caloric intake with a feature called your "eat meter". Calorie Count Plus also helps you track the calories you burn with physical activity with the "burn meter".