Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Plantain (raw banana): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw green plantain gives 80 kcal, 1.2 g protein, 17.6 g carbohydrate and 3.6 g fibre, according to IFCT 2017. It carries 402 mg potassium, 4th of 39 vegetables, and 23.3 mg vitamin C. IFCT also lists two other parts of the plant: banana flower, at 21 kcal with 5.2 g fibre, and banana stem, at 39 kcal per 100 g.
About plantain (raw banana)
Raw banana is the green, unripe fruit of cooking plantains, firmer and starchier than the bananas eaten as fruit, and it is a daily vegetable in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bengal, Assam and Odisha. IFCT 2017 records names in 17 languages: vazhakkai in Malayalam, vazhakkaai in Tamil, arati kayi in Telugu, bale kayi in Kannada, kela kanch in Bengali, kaskol in Assamese, bantala kadali in Odia, kele hara in Hindi, kaccha kela in Urdu and kham kael in Kashmiri.
In the south it becomes vazhakkai poriyal, podimas and bajji, the backbone of Kerala's avial and erissery, and the thin chips fried in coconut oil. Bengal makes kanchkolar kofta and puts it in shukto. The rest of the plant is eaten too. The flower, mocha in Bengal and vazhapoo in Tamil Nadu, has 21 kcal, 1.5 g protein and 5.2 g fibre per 100 g. The stem core, cooked as vazhaithandu, is light at 39 kcal, with 8.6 g carbohydrate and very little protein.
What plantain (raw banana) brings to a meal
- 01
A starchy vegetable
With 80 kcal and 17.6 g carbohydrate per 100 g, raw banana ranks 4th of 39 vegetables for energy and 3rd for carbohydrate. Much of that starch is digested slowly while the banana is green, and ripening turns it to sugar.
- 02
Potassium ranks 4th of 39
Raw plantain carries 402 mg potassium per 100 g, 84th of 243 foods. Potassium helps the kidneys manage sodium and keeps muscles and nerves working normally.
- 03
Vitamin C, 10th of 36
The green fruit supplies 23.3 mg vitamin C per 100 g, which gives a man 29 per cent of his daily need and a woman 36 per cent. Steaming or a quick poriyal keeps more than deep-frying.
- 04
Flower and stem for fibre
The banana flower brings 5.2 g fibre and the stem 2.1 g per 100 g, with far fewer calories than the fruit. Cooks who use all three parts get starch, fibre and bulk from one plant.
Plantain (raw banana) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 80 kcal | 4% | 5% |
| Protein | 1.2 g | 2% | 3% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 17.6 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 3.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Water | 76.2 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.06 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.11 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 34 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 14 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 0.34 mg | 2% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.23 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 36 mg | 8% | 10% |
| Phosphorus | 32 mg | ||
| Potassium | 402 mg | ||
| Sodium | 19 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.1 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 23.3 mg | 29% | 36% |
| Beta-carotene | 3 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.01 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.05 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.33 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Folate (B9) | 19 µg | 6% | 9% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.08 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 17.4 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Plantain (raw banana): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/plantain-raw-banana/
Where plantain (raw banana) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 38 vegetables and mushrooms and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In vegetables and mushrooms | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 23.3 mg | 10th of 36 | 55th of 130 |
| Potassium | 402 mg | 4th of 39 | 84th of 243 |
| Dietary fibre | 3.6 g | 17th of 39 | 115th of 182 |
| Magnesium | 36 mg | 12th of 39 | 118th of 242 |
| Beta-carotene | 3 µg | 28th of 31 | 126th of 160 |
Every form of plantain (raw banana) in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plantain, green (shown above) | 80 kcal | 1.2 g | 3.6 g | 0.34 mg | 14 mg |
| Flower | 21 kcal | 1.5 g | 5.2 g | 0.4 mg | 34 mg |
| Stem | 39 kcal | 0.3 g | 2.1 g | 0.26 mg | 11 mg |
How plantain (raw banana) is eaten
- Vazhakkai poriyal in Tamil Nadu: cubes of raw banana stir-fried with sambar powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Avial in Kerala: raw banana with drumstick, yam and beans in a coconut and curd paste, finished with coconut oil.
- Kanchkolar kofta in Bengal: boiled, mashed raw banana shaped into balls, fried and simmered in a ginger and cumin gravy.
- Mochar ghonto in Bengal: chopped banana flower cooked with potato, coconut and ghee-roasted spices.
- Vazhaithandu kootu: chopped banana stem cooked with moong dal and coconut, often soured with buttermilk.
Before you plan around it
Raw banana is starchier than most vegetables, so people counting carbohydrate should treat a serving of vazhakkai poriyal as part of the starch on the plate, alongside rice or roti rather than on top of a full portion. Banana chips and bajji are deep-fried and much richer than the vegetable itself. Peeling green bananas releases a sticky sap that stains hands and knives; oil them first, and drop the cut pieces into water so they do not darken. Banana flower and stem need cleaning before cooking: pull the hard stigma from each floret and remove the stem's long fibres.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about plantain (raw banana)
Is raw banana good for diabetes?
Raw green banana has 17.6 g carbohydrate per 100 g in IFCT 2017, much of it starch that is digested more slowly than the sugar in ripe banana. It can fit a diabetes diet in moderate portions, counted as a starch. Plan portions with your doctor or dietitian.
How many calories are in raw banana?
IFCT 2017 lists 80 kcal per 100 g of raw green plantain, with 1.2 g protein, 0.2 g fat and 17.6 g carbohydrate. Cooked as a dry poriyal with a little oil it stays moderate; chips and bajji add a lot of oil.
Is banana flower good for health?
Banana flower is light, 21 kcal per 100 g in IFCT 2017, with 5.2 g fibre and 1.5 g protein. It is a filling vegetable. Claims about specific medical effects are not well established, so treat it as a good vegetable rather than a remedy.
What is banana stem good for?
Banana stem is light, 39 kcal per 100 g, and fibrous, and is cooked into kootu, poriyal and curries in the south and east. Banana stem juice is a popular home drink, but juicing removes much of the fibre, so eating the cooked stem is the better choice.
Related foods and tables
Banana
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Raw jackfruit
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Drumstick (moringa pods)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Yam (suran)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Colocasia stem
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Potassium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by potassium per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
All vegetables and mushrooms
39 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.