Fruits are often not great for ketogenic diets but this is not always the case. Find out whether or not bananas are keto-friendly.
100 grams of raw banana contain around 20.2 grams of net carbs which means total carbohydrates minus fiber.
Even in small amounts, bananas would add a lot of carbohydrates to your diet. In turn, it is fair to say that they are generally not keto-friendly.
Luckily, there are still a few more low-carb fruits for people who want something sweeter on a ketogenic diet.
How many carbs there are in bananas
How many carbs there are in foods like bananas is an important detail when trying to follow a ketogenic diet.
100 grams of banana contain the following amounts of carbs (1):
- Total carbs: 22.8 grams
- Of which fiber: 2.6 grams
- Net carbs: 20.2 grams
If you eat reasonable amounts of other foods, the 20.2 grams of net carbs in 100 grams of banana is basically always enough to kick you out of ketosis.
One medium banana is about 118 grams and contains the following amounts of carbs:
- Total carbs: 26.9 grams
- Of which fiber: 3.1 grams
- Net carbs: 23.8 grams
By eating more grams of banana, you will also consume more carbohydrates. In turn, it becomes even harder to combine this fruit with your diet in a keto-friendly way.
Are green bananas keto-friendly?
An interesting fact about bananas is that they can vary in terms of nutrition details depending on when you pick them off the plant.
Earlier in the ripening process, bananas are green and contain more fiber which is a more keto-friendly type of carbohydrate.
As the bananas ripen, part of the fiber turns into glucose aka sugar which is a less keto-friendly type of nutrient.
In turn, green bananas will generally be better for ketogenic diets than yellow ones. Exactly to what extent is hard to put into numbers since it can vary.
That being said, green bananas will still generally not be that keto-friendly.
Other nutrition information bananas
The number of carbs in bananas is important on a ketogenic diet but other nutrients still matter.
Fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals still influence how healthy bananas are and whether you will stay in ketosis.
100 grams of raw banana contain the following nutrients (1):
- Calories: 89
- Protein: 1.1 grams
- Carbs: 22.8 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 2.6 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Vitamin B6: 18% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin C: 15% of the DV
- Manganese: 13% of the DV
- Potassium: 10% of the DV
- Magnesium: 7% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Bananas do contain a few valuable nutrients in small amounts but likely not to the extent where you want to implement small amounts on a ketogenic diet.
Especially if you consider that there are more low-carb foods that can provide you with these nutrients in bigger amounts.
Why a banana will often take you out of ketosis
There are situations where you can fit small amounts of certain high-carb foods into your keto diet. The keto basics can help you understand why this will almost never be the case for bananas.
The main goal of a ketogenic diet is getting and keeping your body in the state of ketosis. In this state, you mainly use fat as fuel which can offer a few benefits (2).
To get into ketosis you need to keep your carbohydrate intake low enough. Just how long depends on details like your body weight, muscle mass, genes, and workout habits.
This aspect of ketogenic diets makes things more confusing. However, there are still recommendations that are not perfect but help you understand roughly how many grams of carbs are allowed on keto.
A typical guideline is that you want to consume around 55%-60% of your macronutrients in fat, 30%-35% in protein, and 5%-10% in carbohydrates to get and stay in ketosis.
In practice, this typically comes down to eating about 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates a day.
Even if you consider that you don’t include the fiber in bananas in these amounts, it should become clear that this fruit will almost always kick you out of ketosis in combination with a reasonable diet.
Substitutes for bananas on keto
You are likely interested in bananas because you want to eat something with a sweeter taste on a ketogenic diet. Luckily, there are still more keto-friendly food options that could help with this.
The numbers next to these substitutes for bananas on keto are the amounts of net carbohydrates per 100 grams (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8):
- Blackberries: 4.9 grams of net carbs
- Raspberries: 5.4 grams of net carbs
- Strawberries: 5.7 grams of net carbs
- Watermelon: 7.1 grams of net carbs
- Cranberries: 7.6 grams of net carbs
- Cantaloupe: 7.9 grams of net carbs
While these alternatives are more keto-friendly than bananas, they do still contain good amounts of carbohydrates. Make sure you don’t overdo it with these either.
What is your reason for staying in ketosis?
By now it should be clear that bananas will almost always kick you out of ketosis. Whether this is an issue depends on your reasons for wanting to stay in ketosis.
More specifically, there are people who need/want to stay in strict ketosis every minute of the day. These individuals likely want to stay away from bananas.
On the other hand, bananas can still be good for weight loss and decent for health. Ketogenic diets can be helpful but they are typically not the only way to achieve these health goals.
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FAQ
Can I eat a banana on a keto diet?
A medium banana contains around 20.2 grams of net carbohydrates. That means you typically can not eat a banana on a keto diet.
Can I eat 1 banana on a low-carb diet?
1 medium banana contains around 20.2 grams of net carbs. In turn, you can typically not eat this on a low-carb diet.
