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A plantain is a starchy cooking banana: bigger, thicker-skinned and firmer than the sweet bananas in a fruit bowl, and almost always eaten cooked. Green plantains are dense and potato-like, yellow ones turn softer and sweeter, and black-skinned ones are the sweetest of all. This guide covers plantain vs banana side by side, plantain nutrition from the USDA SR Legacy database for green and ripe, boiled, baked and fried plantains, what little research exists, and an honest answer to whether plantains are healthy.
Peptide Labs does not sell plantains or plantain products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Plantains belong to the banana genus Musa, but they are starchier and usually cooked before eating.
- As a plantain ripens from green to yellow, USDA data show starch falling and sugar rising sharply.
- A cup of boiled green plantain has about 166 calories and 3.1 grams of sugars; a cup of baked yellow plantain has about 215 calories and 29.6 grams of sugars.
- Plantains supply potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folate; frying adds a lot of fat and calories.
- The Dietary Guidelines count plantains as a starchy vegetable, in the same group as potatoes and cassava.
What is a plantain?
Plantains are cultivated members of the banana genus, Musa, often described in research as the AAB group. Botanically they are bananas; in the kitchen they behave more like a root vegetable. They are staples across West and Central Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, where you will meet them as tostones (twice-fried green slices), maduros (fried ripe slices), mofongo, fufu and boiled or roasted plantain.
One naming trap: the leafy lawn weed called common plantain is Plantago major, a completely different plant, according to the USDA PLANTS database. Its relative Plantago ovata is the source of psyllium husk, the fiber covered in our psyllium guide. This article is only about the cooking banana.
Plantain vs banana: the main differences
The sweet yellow bananas sold in US supermarkets are dessert bananas, bred to be eaten raw. Plantains stay starchy far longer. That changes taste, texture and cooking, and it shows in the numbers. Per 100 grams, USDA lists raw green plantain at about 152 calories with 32 grams of starch, compared with 89 calories and about 5 grams of starch for a raw banana. Our banana guide, coming soon, covers banana calories by size.
| Food per 100 g (USDA FDC ID) | Calories | Carbohydrate (g) | Starch (g) | Sugars (g) | Fiber (g) | Potassium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plantain, green, raw (168215) | 152 | 36.7 | 32.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 431 |
| Plantain, yellow, raw (169130) | 122 | 31.9 | 12.0 | 17.5 | 1.7 | 487 |
| Plantain, green, boiled (168216) | 121 | 29.2 | 24.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 289 |
| Plantain, yellow, baked (169131) | 155 | 41.4 | 17.9 | 21.3 | 2.2 | 477 |
| Plantain, green, fried (168199) | 309 | 49.2 | 40.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 482 |
| Banana, raw (173944) | 89 | 22.8 | 5.4 | 12.2 | 2.6 | 358 |
Three things stand out. First, ripeness matters more than anything else: the yellow raw plantain has far less starch and about seven times the sugars of the green one. Second, plantains are more calorie-dense than bananas because they hold less water. Third, fried green plantain has roughly twice the calories of boiled green plantain per 100 grams, with almost 12 grams of fat, because it soaks up oil.
Plantain nutrition per cup
Here is USDA plantain nutrition for a typical cooked serving, with percent Daily Value (%DV) based on FDA Daily Values. The banana column is raw sliced banana, since bananas are usually eaten raw.
| Nutrient | Green plantain, boiled (1 cup, 137 g) | Yellow plantain, baked (1 cup, 139 g) | Banana, raw (1 cup sliced, 150 g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 166 | 215 | 134 |
| Carbohydrate | 39.9 g (15%) | 57.5 g (21%) | 34.3 g (12%) |
| Fiber | 3.6 g (13%) | 3.1 g (11%) | 3.9 g (14%) |
| Total sugars | 3.1 g | 29.6 g | 18.3 g |
| Protein | 1.5 g (3%) | 2.1 g (4%) | 1.6 g (3%) |
| Potassium | 396 mg (8%) | 663 mg (14%) | 537 mg (11%) |
| Magnesium | 38 mg (9%) | 57 mg (14%) | 41 mg (10%) |
| Vitamin C | 12.5 mg (14%) | 22.8 mg (25%) | 13.1 mg (15%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.30 mg (18%) | 0.29 mg (17%) | 0.55 mg (32%) |
| Folate | 66 mcg DFE (16%) | 74 mcg DFE (18%) | 30 mcg DFE (8%) |
| Vitamin A | Not listed | 63 mcg RAE (7%) | 4.5 mcg RAE (under 1%) |
A whole raw green plantain (about 267 grams of edible flesh in USDA data) carries roughly 406 calories, 98 grams of carbohydrate and 1,151 milligrams of potassium, about a quarter of the Daily Value. Plantains are a meaningful potassium source, which is why they appear in our guide to potassium-rich foods. Like most plant foods, they have almost no fat until oil is added.
Plantain chips and fried plantain
Snack chips change the picture. USDA lists salted plantain chips at about 151 calories and 8.4 grams of fat per ounce, and a cup of fried green plantain at about 365 calories and 13.9 grams of fat. Fried forms are traditional and tasty; they are simply a different food, nutritionally, from boiled or baked plantain. Check the Nutrition Facts label on packaged chips for sodium and the type of oil.
Are plantains healthy?
Plantains are a whole, minimally processed starchy food with fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folate, and they are naturally low in fat and sodium when boiled, baked or roasted. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans place plantains in the starchy vegetables subgroup, alongside white potatoes, corn, cassava, taro and yam, and note that starchy vegetables are often eaten fried or with butter and salt. Our starchy vegetable guide explains how the subgroup fits into an eating pattern.
So yes, plantains can be part of a healthy diet, with two caveats. They are carbohydrate-dense, so the portion and the cooking method decide most of the nutrition. And ripe plantains are much higher in sugars than green ones. If you count carbohydrates for diabetes, ask your clinician or a registered dietitian how plantains fit; our low glycemic foods guide explains how carbohydrate quality is measured.
What research shows on green plantain starch
Much of the interest in green plantain comes from its starch, part of which resists digestion in the small intestine (resistant starch). Human research on whole plantains is thin. In one small 2016 study, 10 healthy volunteers ate boiled unripe plantain, unripe plantain crisps and ripe raw plantain on separate days, compared with white bread. Blood sugar peaked later after the unripe products, but the glycemic index values of the three plantain foods were not significantly different from one another, and the authors said other plantain constituents confounded the results. That is a small, short test, not evidence of a health effect. For fiber and fermentable carbohydrates in general, see our guides to prebiotic foods and high fiber foods.
Plantain vs other starches
Compared per 100 grams in USDA data, boiled green plantain (121 calories, 2.6 grams fiber) sits above baked potato flesh (93 calories) and boiled sweet potato (76 calories) in calories, because it holds less water. Sweet potato brings far more vitamin A; see our sweet potato guide. Cassava, another tropical staple, is denser still and needs careful preparation; our cassava guide explains why.
How to cook plantains
- Green: peel by cutting off the ends and slitting the thick skin lengthwise. Boil, roast, mash or slice for tostones. Green plantains taste starchy, not sweet.
- Yellow with black spots: softer and sweeter. Bake or pan-cook slices; they caramelize quickly.
- Mostly black: the sweetest stage, often used for maduros and desserts.
- Lighter methods: boiling, steaming, baking and air frying keep fat low; deep frying adds the most.
Cautions
Plantains are rich in potassium. MedlinePlus notes that kidney disease and medicines such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs and spironolactone can raise blood potassium, so anyone told to limit potassium should ask a clinician how plantains fit; our potassium guide has more. Plantains are not among the major food allergens under US law, but any food can cause an allergy; see an allergist if you react to bananas or plantains.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between plantain vs banana?
Both are Musa fruits. Plantains are larger, starchier and firmer and are cooked before eating; dessert bananas are sweeter and eaten raw. Per 100 grams, raw green plantain has about 152 calories and raw banana about 89 in USDA data.
Can you eat plantains raw?
Ripe plantains can be eaten raw; USDA lists raw plantain values and a 2016 study served ripe raw plantain. Green plantains are hard and starchy, so they are almost always cooked.
Are plantains healthy?
They can be. Boiled or baked plantains supply fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folate with little fat. Fried plantains and chips add a lot of fat and calories.
Do plantains have more sugar when ripe?
Yes. USDA lists about 2.3 grams of sugars per 100 grams in raw green plantain and about 17.5 grams in raw yellow plantain, as starch turns into sugar.
Is plantain a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically it is a fruit in the banana genus. The Dietary Guidelines count it as a starchy vegetable because of how it is eaten.
Are plantains gluten-free?
Plain plantains are not a gluten-containing grain under FDA rules. Check labels on plantain chips, flours and mixes, which can share equipment with wheat.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Cassava: Root Nutrition, Safety and How It Is Prepared, Banana Calories and Nutrition by Size: Are Bananas Healthy?, Starchy Vegetables: List, USDA Nutrition and Non-Starchy Swaps.