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Are Plantains Healthy? What Ripeness and Cooking Change

A cup of boiled green plantain has about 166 calories, 3.6 g of fiber and almost no fat, according to USDA. Fried, the same cup reaches about 365. Here is what ripeness and cooking change, and how plantains compare with bananas.

By Ngoc Hoang

A plantain looks like an oversized banana, but it is usually cooked and eaten more like a potato, as WebMD describes it. That double life is why the answer to "are plantains healthy" depends less on the fruit itself and more on two choices: how ripe it is when you cook it, and what goes into the pan.

The verdict, per serving:

  • Boiled green plantain, 1 cup: about 166 calories, 3.6 g fiber, 3 g sugar and almost no fat

  • Baked ripe plantain, 1 cup: about 215 calories, 3.1 g fiber, 30 g sugar and 663 mg potassium

  • Fried plantain, 1 cup: about 365 (green) to 399 (ripe) calories, with 13 to 14 g fat

  • Plantain chips, 1 oz: about 151 calories and 8.4 g fat

Boiled or baked, plantains are a low-fat starch with fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Frying more than doubles the calories of the boiled cup.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy).

Plantain nutrition facts

Two of USDA's cooked entries show plantain with nothing added: green plantain boiled, and ripe (yellow) plantain baked. Per cup, with the share of the Daily Value (DV) where one exists:

Per 1 cup

Green, boiled (4.8 oz)

Ripe, baked (4.9 oz)

Calories

166

215

Carbohydrates

40 g (15% DV)

57.5 g (21% DV)

Fiber

3.6 g (13% DV)

3.1 g (11% DV)

Total sugars

3.1 g

29.6 g

Protein

1.5 g

2.1 g

Fat

0.1 g

0.2 g

Potassium

396 mg (8% DV)

663 mg (14% DV)

Vitamin C

12.5 mg (14% DV)

22.8 mg (25% DV)

Vitamin B6

0.3 mg (18% DV)

0.29 mg (17% DV)

Magnesium

38 mg (9% DV)

57 mg (14% DV)

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy); FDA Daily Values.

Three things stand out. Almost all the calories come from carbohydrate, with fat close to zero when nothing is added. A cup of ripe baked plantain covers a quarter of the day's vitamin C and about a sixth of the B6. And protein stays under 2.5 g a cup, so plantain works as the starch on a plate rather than the main event.

Green, yellow or black: what ripeness changes

As a plantain ripens, its starch turns into sugar. USDA's lab values for raw plantain at three stages show how far that goes, per 3.5 oz:

  • Underripe (green): 27.8 g starch, 27 g of it resistant starch, 2.4 g sugar, 2.5 g fiber, 145 calories

  • Ripe (yellow): 13.6 g starch, 12 g of it resistant starch, 14.2 g sugar, 2.1 g fiber, 136 calories

  • Overripe (black): 7.4 g starch, 7 g of it resistant starch, 19.2 g sugar, 1.8 g fiber, 130 calories

Source: USDA FoodData Central (Foundation Foods), raw plantains by ripeness.

Plantain Starch Sugar by Ripeness

Calories barely move from green to black. What changes is the kind of carbohydrate. Resistant starch passes through the small intestine without being digested and feeds the helpful bacteria in the large intestine, according to Cleveland Clinic, which adds that it may help with blood sugar. Green plantain carries about four times the resistant starch of an overripe one.

One limit to keep in mind: these are raw values. USDA does not list resistant starch for cooked plantain, and plantains are almost always eaten cooked. Green plantain is still the lowest in sugar once boiled, at about 3 g a cup against about 30 g for baked ripe plantain.

Source: Cleveland Clinic, "Resistant Starch"; USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy).

Boiled, baked or fried: how cooking changes plantain

The pan matters more than the ripeness. From lightest to heaviest, per cup unless noted:

  • Boiled green plantain: 166 calories, 0.1 g fat

  • Baked ripe plantain: 215 calories, 0.2 g fat

  • Plantain cooked with a little oil: 245 calories, 5.5 g fat

  • Fried green plantain (tostones): 365 calories, 13.9 g fat, 4.4 g saturated fat

  • Fried ripe plantain (maduros), restaurant style: 399 calories, 12.7 g fat, 3.1 g saturated fat

  • Plantain chips, 1 oz: 151 calories, 8.4 g fat, 2.4 g saturated fat, 57 mg sodium

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy and FNDDS).

Plantain Calories by Cooking Method

Frying works like a sponge here. Per 3.5 oz, boiled green plantain has 0.08 g of fat and fried green plantain 11.8 g, which is where most of the extra 188 calories come from. Plantain chips go further: at 531 calories per 3.5 oz, a 1 oz handful equals almost a full cup of boiled plantain.

This is also why the same food can be logged so differently. If you track meals in a calorie tracking app such as Dietfit, log the cooking method along with the plantain: one cup can be 166 calories or 399.

Plantains vs bananas

Side by side raw, per 3.5 oz, a ripe plantain is the denser of the two:

Per 3.5 oz, raw

Ripe plantain

Banana

Calories

122

89

Carbohydrates

31.9 g

22.8 g

Starch

12 g

5.4 g

Sugars

17.5 g

12.2 g

Fiber

1.7 g

2.6 g

Potassium

487 mg

358 mg

Vitamin C

18.4 mg

8.7 mg

Vitamin A

56 mcg

3 mcg

Vitamin B6

0.24 mg

0.37 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy).

Plantain brings more potassium, about twice the vitamin C and far more vitamin A, while banana has more fiber and B6 for the weight. The bigger practical difference is how each is eaten: a banana goes straight from the peel, while a plantain is cooked, often with oil. Neither is a protein food, at about 1 g per 3.5 oz; if that is what you are after, see our list of high protein fruits.

What plantains do well

Potassium

A cup of baked ripe plantain has about 663 mg of potassium, according to USDA. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sets the daily target at 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 mg for women and notes that potassium plays an important role in managing blood pressure. That one cup covers about a fifth of the target for men and a quarter for women.

Vitamin C and B6

The same cup has 22.8 mg of vitamin C, a quarter of the 90 mg Daily Value, and 0.29 mg of vitamin B6, about a sixth of its Daily Value. Boiled green plantain has less vitamin C (12.5 mg a cup) but a similar amount of B6.

Blood sugar: a low GI in one small study

In a study of 10 healthy adults published in the European Journal of Nutrition, boiled unripe plantain had a glycemic index (GI) of about 45 and raw ripe plantain about 38. Mayo Clinic classes a GI of 55 or less as low. Plantain crisps made from boiled unripe plantain scored about 55. The study was small, and the three results did not differ significantly from one another.

A low GI does not make the carbohydrate disappear: a cup of cooked plantain still has about 40 to 58 g of it.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy); Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, "What Is Potassium?"; FDA Daily Values; Oladele and Williamson, European Journal of Nutrition; Mayo Clinic, "Low-glycemic index diet".

Who should be careful with plantains

People told to limit potassium. The National Kidney Foundation counts a food as high in potassium at about 200 mg or more per serving, and leaves the decision to limit it to your healthcare provider. A cup of cooked plantain has about 396 to 663 mg. If you have kidney disease and have been asked to watch potassium, ask your care team how plantains fit.

People counting carbohydrates. At 40 to 58 g of carbohydrate a cup, plantain belongs in the carbohydrate count for the meal. The portion is what matters most.

Anyone eating them fried most days. A cup of tostones has 4.4 g of saturated fat, about a fifth of the 20 g Daily Value, and nearly 200 more calories than the boiled cup.

Sources: National Kidney Foundation, "Potassium in Your CKD Diet"; USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy); FDA Daily Values.

Lighter ways to eat plantains

  • Boil green plantain and mash it with a little of the cooking water instead of butter: about 166 calories a cup.

  • Bake ripe plantain wrapped in foil or on a sheet pan for the sweet flavor of maduros at about 215 calories a cup instead of 399.

  • Measure the oil if you pan-cook: USDA's plantain cooked with oil comes to about 245 calories a cup.

  • Serve a half cup as the starch next to beans, eggs, chicken or fish, at about 83 to 108 calories.

  • Treat chips as a snack portion: 1 oz is about 151 calories.

For more dishes built the same way, see our guide to healthy Latin food.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy and FNDDS).

FAQ

Are fried plantains healthy?

Best kept occasional. A cup of fried plantain has about 365 to 399 calories and 13 to 14 g of fat, according to USDA, against about 166 calories and almost no fat for a cup of boiled green plantain.

Are plantains healthier than bananas?

Different, not better. Per 3.5 oz raw, plantain has more calories, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin A; banana has more fiber and vitamin B6. Cooking method decides more than the fruit does.

Are plantain chips healthy?

Not as a side dish. Plantain chips have about 531 calories per 3.5 oz. A 1 oz serving comes to about 151 calories, 8.4 g of fat and 2.4 g of saturated fat.

Are plantains good for weight loss?

Boiled or baked, they can fit. A cup of boiled green plantain has about 166 calories and 3.6 g of fiber. To see how that fits your own day, our daily calorie calculator estimates a target from your height, weight and activity.

Can you eat plantains raw?

Ripe ones, yes, but most people cook them. Raw ripe plantain was one of the foods tested in a small glycemic index study in the European Journal of Nutrition. Green plantains are firmer and starchier, and WebMD describes plantains as usually cooked and eaten like a potato.

Are plantains good for people with diabetes?

They can fit with portion control. Boiled unripe plantain scored a GI of about 45 in a small study, which counts as low, but a cup still has about 40 g of carbohydrate. Your care team can help you set the portion.

References

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