How many calories are in a banana? Can you explain the difference between regular bananas and plantains?

 A medium-sized banana (about 118 grams) typically contains approximately 105 calories. Bananas are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6.

Bananas and plantains belong to the same family and genus, but they are different in several ways:

1. Taste and Usage: Regular bananas, often referred to as dessert bananas, are sweet and can be eaten raw when ripe. Plantains are starchier, less sweet, and are usually cooked before eating, often used in savory dishes.

2. Texture: Due to their higher starch content, plantains are firmer than bananas. As plantains ripen, their starch converts to sugar, but they remain firmer than bananas.

3. Appearance: Plantains are usually larger and thicker-skinned than bananas. They can be green, yellow, or very dark brown, depending on their ripeness. Bananas tend to be smaller, with thinner skins, and are usually yellow when ripe, sometimes with small brown spots.

4. Nutritional Content: While both are good sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, plantains contain more calories and carbohydrates due to their larger size and higher starch content. A medium plantain contains about 220 calories and 57 grams of carbohydrates, significantly more than a banana.

Both bananas and plantains are nutritious options but are used differently in cooking due to their taste, texture, and nutritional content differences.