Nutrition

Bananas are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.

One banana has 110 calories, no fat, 29g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 1g protein, and no sodium.

Selection and Storage

A ripe banana is completely yellow. Green is not ripe enough and brown is too ripe.

Bananas should be kept at room temperature in the open air, not in a closed container. To ripen faster, place them in a paper bag. Once ripe, they can be kept in the refrigerator, where the skin will turn black but the inside will remain good to eat.

Common Types

Cavendish bananas. This is the most common variety, the kind that most consumers buy and eat.

Red bananas. These are short, fat bananas that have a reddish skin and are pink inside. They taste sweeter than Cavendish bananas.

Apple bananas. These are also short, fat bananas and have an aftertaste that resembles the flavor of an apple.

Plantains. Plantains are large and green. They are usually cooked because they are very starchy.