Banana vs Apple: nutrition per 100 g

The figures are for ripe robusta banana, the common green-skinned variety, and a large apple. Per 100 g, banana has 105 kcal and 23.6 g of carbohydrate, apple 62 kcal and 13.1 g. Banana is the denser fruit, with less water, 71.9 g against 83.0 g, and more sugar, 13.7 g against 9.5 g. That is why a banana is such a handy quick-energy snack before sport or a long commute. Apple has a little more fibre, 2.6 g against 1.9 g, much of it pectin, and its crunch slows eating down.

Banana has 306 mg of potassium per 100 g, about 2.6 times the 116 mg in apple. Potassium helps nerves and muscles work and helps balance sodium. Banana also has 35 mg of magnesium against 8 mg, about 4.4 times as much, ranking 6th of 43 fruits, plus more phosphorus, zinc and copper. Apple has more calcium, 14 mg against 5 mg, though neither fruit is a real calcium source. Iron is low in both, 0.28 mg and 0.26 mg.

Banana is a good source of vitamin B6, 0.44 mg per 100 g against 0.04 mg in apple, covering 18 per cent of a man's daily need. It also has more folate, 17 micrograms against 3, more beta-carotene and more niacin. Apple ranks last of 44 fruits in IFCT 2017 for folate. Apple has a little more vitamin E and thiamine.

The surprise is vitamin C. Both fruits are low: 4.8 mg in banana and 3.6 mg in apple per 100 g, covering only 6 and 4 per cent of a man's daily need. For vitamin C, amla, guava, orange and papaya are far better everyday choices.

India grows bananas almost everywhere, in dozens of varieties: robusta, the small elaichi or yelakki, Kerala's nendran used for chips and steamed puttu, and red banana. Bananas go into sheera, panchamritam, banana lassi, Kerala pazham pori and the simple banana with curd or roti. Apples come mostly from Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir and are usually eaten fresh, sometimes stewed or in chaat. Bananas are cheaper and available all year; apples cost more, especially out of season.