The Keto diet has been very common nowadays for weight loss programs, making people think of what they can eat. An unripe banana is also rich in carbohydrates and that’s why it is not keto-friendly. We hope you can answer if some people enquire is green banana keto-friendly.
Today’s article will let you know if green Banana is allowed when one is on keto and why. Also, you must learn the nutrients available in green bananas besides some of the recipes and alternatives.
Keep in mind that green banana has a lot of health benefits; all you need to know is how to utilize that for your keto diet.
Is Green Banana Keto-friendly?
The answer is firstly no because banana is rich in carbohydrate, especially the ripe/ yellow ones. So you can’t have them when you are on a keto diet. There’s been a debate about the green bananas for keto; some experts say that it’s allowed and some say they are not.
Most experts say that green Banana is also not keto-friendly even though they have fewer carbs than yellow ones. You can keep bananas in your daily diet when you are on a break from the keto diet. Some dietitians say that you have to modify the green bananas by following some steps.
Does Green Banana Have Carbs?
Yes, green bananas have carbs, in a satisfactory amount. We all know that ripe fruits have more glucose and fructose or other forms of carbs, but does that mean unripe ones have none? Not at all, because unripe bananas also have some carbs in them, although the amount is low.
A green, unripe, or half-ripe banana (medium size) contains nearly 23 grams of carbs which is a lot. In other words, you can say that 100 gm of green banana provides 23 gm carbs that create nearly a hundred Kcal energy.
Nutrients of a Green Banana
A green banana is rich in various nutrients, both macro and micro. You must learn the serving size when you’re counting the total calories and nutrient amount of food. The ideal serving size for green bananas is one medium-sized, or 100gm.
Let’s see what nutrients we can have from a green banana:
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Dietary fiber | 2-3 gram |
| carbohydrate | 23 gram |
| vitamin C | 8.6 mg |
| Magnesium | 27 mg |
| Potassium | 450 mg |
| Calcium | 5 mg |
| Folate | 20 microgram |
Moreover, it has not that much fat content, making it a low-calorie food. A Banana is a good choice for a weight loss program, but not as a keto item.
The Health Benefits of Green Banana on Keto
Some people think that green banana is good for keto as it has low in calories, and weight loss is the ultimate goal of this diet. However, let’s see the health benefits of green bananas.
Low Calorie
https://perfectketo.com says that green bananas are rich in dietary fiber and vitamins, minerals; it doesn’t have any high-calorie substance. Fat and protein are not present much in unripe bananas, making them healthy for those who want to reduce their total calorie intake.
Controls Blood Sugar
According to https://blog.kissmyketo.com, green banana controls blood sugar. Though banana has a large amount of carb, those are resistant starch or non-readily digestible carbs. So, green bananas have a low glycemic index which resists the rise of blood glucose levels.
Improving Gut Health
The same website says that bananas are in dietary fibre which allows them to improve gut health, and solve some minor GI tract issues.
High Pectic Substance
Green bananas have got high pectic substances, and pectin has multiple health benefits like great digestion and constipation prevention. But excessive eating may cause diarrhea, bloating, or gas.
Controls Blood Pressure
As you can see that it’s which source of potassium, and it can be a good medium to control the blood pressure of a person. Those who are hypertensive are suggested to take a banana daily.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are always necessary to Detox your body, especially to get rid of free radicals. Green bananas also provide a satisfactory amount of antioxidants like any other fruit.
5 Green Banana Keto Recipes
Bananas are not allowed according to the traditional keto diet systems because it doesn’t provide the necessary macronutrients for keto (protein and fat). But we can have some recipes which use bananas in preparing keto meal items.
Now you will see 5 green banana keto recipes which will leave you amazed!
- Banana Keto Bread
It’s a banana flavor keto bread that is famous among people preferring gluten-free items. Let’s see how it is prepared:
Ingredients: You will need some almond flour, coconut flour, sweeteners, xanthan gums, and some spices like cinnamons, cloves, nutmeg, etc.
How to Make: However, you have to make the ingredients in the correct proportion well and preheat an oven to 350°F. Next, you’re supposed to bake the bread until it’s ready.
- Green Banana Nuggets
You might be thinking that why are we preparing mouth-watering fried food for people on keto? However, we include protein and fat in this diet and omit carbs. So, nuggets are also a delicious keto food item that you can prepare with green bananas.
Ingredients: 2 green bananas, 1 tsp of green chili sauce and red chili sauce, ½ cup shredded cheese, ½ cup of grated broccoli, chili flakes, and salt to taste. Oil, cornflour, and breadcrumbs are also necessary for frying the nuggets.
How to Make: First, you have to cut the two bananas into halves and boil them for some time. Next, you have to mix all the ingredients well and shape the mixture like nuggets. You will then dip the nuggets in the cornflour mixture and deep fry them.
- Green Banana Baked Chips
There’s who don’t love chips, and baked chips of green banana can be a delicious snack on keto. Let’s see how to make them:
Ingredients: 4 Green bananas, coconut oil, pepper, and salt to taste.
How to make: First, you have to peel the green bananas and finely slice them with a knife. Preheat an oven to 180°c because that is essential for the oven frying process. Moreover, you have to brush some coconut oil on the sliced bananas and add salt with spices.
Put the banana slices on the oven tray and turn the oven on to bake the chips. You can enjoy them once the banana chips are baked.
- Fried Green Bananas
Fried green banana has also been a very popular dish among keto lovers; let’s jump to the easy procedure:
Ingredients: You will need 3-4 green bananas, eggs, almond flour, oil, salt, etc. to fry them.
How to Make: You have to peel the bananas and clean them well in cold water before coating them with flour and eggs. Once the bananas are ready, you must dip them in the eggs and then coat them with almond flour. You are supposed to fry them in coconut oil; enjoy the fries once they are ready.
- Banana Keto Muffin
Just like you have prepared pieces of bread from banana flour, you can also make some keto-friendly muffins. The method is quite easy:
Ingredients: Banana flour, chocolate chips (optional), baking powder.
How to Make: First of all, you have to make banana flour, baking powder, sweetener (if you don’t want sugar-free), and other items. Mix them well, make muffin shapes, and put them in the pantry. Make sure that you have preheated the oven before you put the muffins to be baked.
What Can You Replace with Banana for Keto?
As banana is not suitable item for those on keto, you can trust the food exchange list to replace banana with other items.
Avocado
Avocado is a good substitute for bananas much to your surprise because the former is more keto-friendly. On the other hand, avocados are also rich in the micronutrients that are present in green bananas.
Chia Seeds
You can replace banana extracts with chia seeds because the latter gets gelatinized in the presence of water. So, you should choose chia seeds which are much lower in carb and provides fewer calories.
Conclusion
Now that you know about green bananas and their relationship with keto, you can answer for is green banana keto-friendly. However, once you decide to go on a keto for 2-3 months, you have to choose the food items very carefully.
Try the recipes mentioned here to include green bananas during your keto diet, or choose the alternate items if you don’t want bananas. You can successfully design your keto with or without the fruit if you have read our full article.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Carbs in a Banana?
Green Bananas have 23-24 grams of carbs per 100 gm, and ripe ones have slightly more carbs. 28 grams of starch and 15 grams of simple sugar are present in ripe bananas.
Is Boiled Green Banana Low-carb?
Yes, boiled green bananas, especially boiled in salt water are low-carb. They contain around 10-12 gm of carbohydrates. That is lower than ripe bananas or uncooked green ones.
Will Banana Take Me Out of Keto?
Well, it depends on how much or which banana you’re having; there’s a high possibility of going out. If you process green bananas in a keto-friendly way, it won’t take you out of keto. On the other hand, if you take ripe or green bananas excessively, they will surely take you out.
Can I Eat Green Plantain on Keto?
Yes, you’re allowed to have green plantain on keto although they are rich in starch. Those are resistant starch which makes them similar to low-carb foods. So, you’re good to have unripe, green food items during keto.
