Are bananas keto-friendly? Answering the popular question of can you eat banana on a low-carb diet? Find out how many grams of carbs, whether bananas fit into a ketogenic diet and a list of keto-friendly alternatives to choose from.
Are Bananas Keto Friendly?
Are Bananas Keto Friendly? That’s a question I’m often asked by blog readers and followers of a low carb diet.
This post will help you learn if bananas are one of the keto-friendly fruits to eat to help you achieve your health and weight loss goals plus also give you ideas for different keto-friendly options instead of bananas, depending on your limit of total grams of carbohydrates, which is especially important while on a keto or low-carb diet .
Whole bananas are known for their high potassium content and are a great source of the vitamin B group complex, especially vitamin B6. Plus bananas are a good source of vitamin C, so the health benefits of bananas are well documented.
But the question remains are bananas good for keto dieters?
How many carbs in Bananas?
Peeled bananas typical weigh slightly over 100 grams. so the nutritional breakdown per 100g serving of banana is as follows:
- Calories – 89
- Fat – 0.3g (saturated fat 0.1g)
- Total Carbohydrates – 231g
- Fiber Content – 2.6g
- Sugars – 12g
- Protein – 1.1g
Are Bananas A Keto-Friendly Food?
So, can you eat bananas on a strict keto diet? The short answer is no, probably not. As you’ve seen above, the carb content of bananas are around 23 grams of carbs.
To remain in a state of ketosis, most people try to eat between 25 to 50 grams of net carbs per day (with net carbs being total carbs less the fiber content), so therefore eating bananas are not the best choice when it comes to keto-friendly fruits.
When I’m following keto strictly I tend to avoid bananas due to the high carb content, as I find it’s not the best choice for how to allocate my daily carbs. Personally I’d rather have fewer carbs and high-fat foods instead.
How About Green Bananas?
The net carb count has to be considered when consuming green bananas or unripe bananas as well. While unripe bananas have almost half the amount of natural sugars as a ripe yellow banana, this still makes the sugar content quite high.
Containing around 12 grams of total carbs and 3 grams of fiber giving around 9 grams of net carbs per unripe or green banana. Also for some, eating unripe bananas are too high in dietary fiber giving people abdominal discomfort, especially if they suffer from abdominal health conditions.
Better Options
Here are some ideas for better options that you can enjoy in greater quantities because they don’t have as high carb counts.
Keto Banana Bread – if you’re wanting to make a low carb friendly banana bread because you’re craving the taste of bananas, a great choice is to consider a banana substitute, such as easily mashable foods like avocado or pumpkin puree. Then, simply add banana extract to give you that delicious flavor of bananas and have a yummy sweet treat. Or, you could make the above pictured keto chocolate chip bread which makes an excellent banana bread alternative.
Keto Friendly Fruit Options – While bananas have a high carb count, you’ll find that fresh, frozen or even dried strawberries, raspberries or blueberries will be much lower in carbs, keto approved and a great way to have low-carb fruits while keeping your blood sugar levels low. Plus, keeping your daily carb intake low as berries do not have as much sugar content as bananas.
Easy Dessert – the best way to enjoy other fruit in place of bananas is having a keto smoothie or dessert with berries. Plus with the high antioxidant content of berries is great for your overall health.
My go to keto-friendly recipes with berries are keto raspberry smoothie, strawberry milkshake, strawberry jam and the above pictured strawberry mousse.
Avocados – technically a fruit (a delicious fruit too) and full of healthy fats and even more potassium than bananas. This keto fruit has approximately 13 grams of carbs with 10g of fiber meaning it only has 3 grams of net carbohydrates per avocado. Making this a delicious keto-friendly alternative to bananas helping you keep to your daily carb limit whether you on a keto diet or a low-carbohydrate diet.
More Keto Meal Plan Inspiration
Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
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