In this post & video I am going to speak about the nutrition facts & health benefits of plantains.
Plantains are staple foods in many tropical parts of the world such as Nigeria, Ghana, India, Central America, and South America.
There are several ways of consuming these fruits as they can be boiled, fried, steamed, grilled or baked. Since plantains fruit all year round, they play a vital role in providing food security to many people in developing countries.
Uganda was the largest producer of plantains in the world followed by Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ghana in the year 2020.
Contents
Nutritional profile | Water | YouTube video | Carbohydrates | Fat & Protein | Energy | Health benefits | Conclusion |
About me
About me
Prashanth Cheruku
Hello!!! Thanks for stopping by.
I am the founder of this platform & a qualified Food Technologist. I have more than 10 years of Research & content creation experience in the field of Food Science.
I hold a Master of Technology degree in Food Process Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.
Nutritional profile of boiled Plantains
In this video I am going to review the nutrition facts of boiled plantains as this is the preferred method of consuming them in many parts of the world.
| Percentage | 1 Cup (137 g) | |
| Water | 69% | 94.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29.2% | 40 g |
| Dietary fibre | 2.6% | 3.6 g |
| Sugars | 2.25% | 3.1 g |
| Fat | 0.08% | 0.11 g |
| Protein | 1.1% | 1.5 g |
| Energy | – | 166 Cal/ 695 kJ |
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Water
As you can see in the table 69% of the total weight of these fruits is water. A cup of boiled plantains weighing 137 g contains about 95 g of water.
As these fruits are mostly consumed in tropical countries where the weather is quite hot presence of abundant water in these fruits help in reaching the daily water requirements.
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Carbohydrates
The only nutrient that provides significant amount of energy in plantains is carbohydrate and it constitutes about 29% of the total weight of these fruits. About 84% of the total carbohydrate present in these fruits is starch.
Dietary fibre & sugars are present in small quantities in these fruits. A cup of boiled plantains provides about 3.5 g of dietary fibre. We can say that plantains are not a great source of dietary fibre.
Fat & Protein
Both the fat & protein content of plantains is almost negligible. Fat constitutes as little as 0.08% of the total weight of these fruits whereas protein constitutes just about 1% of their total weight.
Energy
A cup of plantains provides about 166 Cal or 695 KJ of energy. It is not that high and we can say that these fruits provide moderate amount of energy.
Vitamins, minerals & Health benefits
Now let’s look at the vitamins and minerals present in plantains and the health benefits offered by them.
A cup of plantains provides about 17.5% Daily value of vitamin B6. This vitamin helps our body in making antibodies that fight with infections and also helps in making hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 is also needed to break down proteins. People who are into resistance training and taking high protein diet need this vitamin in good quantities and plantains can help in this regard.
Plantains also contain good amounts of folate and vitamin C.
Folate is a very important vitamin for women who are in the reproductive age and also during pregnancy. Lack of this vitamin in the initial stages of pregnancy can cause birth defects in the baby.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and helps our body in fighting infections. This vitamin is also involved in making several hormones, neurotransmitters and is also involved in protein metabolism.
Plantains contain about 10.5% daily value of pantothenic acid. Thia vitamin helps in converting the food we eat into energy and also in breaking down fats.
Thiamin & Riboflavin are present but in low quantities. These vitamins are also essential for many important functions in our body.
Plantains contain a few minerals in moderate amounts.
Copper is the most abundant mineral found in these fruits at 12% Daily Value. This is an essential mineral that works with iron in forming red blood cells. It also helps in iron absorption.
About 9% daily required magnesium is provided by a cup of plantains. Magnesium helps in regulating blood pressure, blood glucose and heartbeat. It is also needed by about 300 enzymes that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body.
Potassium is an electrolyte. It helps in nerve function and muscle contractions. Plantains are moderately good source of this essential mineral.
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Conclusion
- Overall plantains are whole foods with moderate amount of energy. They are very poor sources of both fat & protein. Consumption of good fat & protein sources is recommended along with these starchy fruits.
- Plantains contain almost no fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E & K. These fruits are also very poor sources of many essential minerals such as Calcium, phosphorus, Iron, Zinc, etc.
- I would suggest you to consume plantains as part of a well-balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and animal-based foods such as eggs for good health.
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