Banana: Log it with peel or not?
 

Have you ever wondered what would be the truer, more accurate caloric values for the fruits/vegetables that you log?

This thread is about bananas. I've been wondering whether the canned caloric value (Food Journal) is for a peeled banana or one that is not peeled. With a little experiment, I've gotten my answer and can now share this with you.

The following are caloric values for the same banana, using different options under the Food Journal:

Banana, large (8"-8-7/8" long) ---> canned, estimated value ..................... 121 cal

Same banana, (~ 8" measured), with peel, weighed @ 223 grams ................ 198 cal

Same banana, without peel, weighed @ 141 grams ....................................... 125 cal



Therefore it can be concluded that the caloric values supplied for bananas are for bananas WITHOUT the peel. This is an important distinction for anyone who weighs out their foods. Not so much for someone who does not.

For those who weigh, 77 calories DOES make a big difference, especially if you eat 2-3 bananas a day like I do.

Does anyone dispute this finding or wish to add to this? Please feel free to do so. The goal here is to be accurate. Thank you.



PS: I'm also wondering about apple cores and peach pits. Those will be my next experiments. :)

I don't know anyone who actually eats the peel. A 4 cal difference seems like a darn good estimate to me.

I always assume I am probably eating 100+ more cals than I log each day.

Now if someone chews gum everyday should they count it? Depends. I do low carb and a 1.5g piece of sf gum (the little square kind) has 1g carb and 2.5 cals. I usually chew at least 2 pc a day. I don't count them. They fall into my 100+ safety area.

Some people may chew a whole pack everyday and not count it. A 20 pack is 50 cals. Not that big of a deal to me but the 20 carbs is huge chunk of the amount I allow for myself each day.

When you add up all the "little things" most of us don't think to log it's easy to see why weight loss can be slowed down when we think we are doing everything right.

I don't think there could realistically ever be a way to know your exact cal/macro values even if you were able to track the weight on a .001oz. scale.

Would be kinda tempting to try though, huh?

LOL, yeah, I think even gorillas peel their bananas! :D

It's true about adding up all the little things. I think this is why some people can't understand why they are not losing as fast as they should. Or perhaps they are doing more visual estimates on foods rather than actually weighing them.

I totally agree. And it's not an exact science by any means, this "tracking". But it's pretty darn good! :)

I also chew 1-2 sticks of 5 calorie/2 carbs gum per day.

I have never eaten a banana peel, but my old dog used to pick them off the top of the trash and eat all but the nub at the top! Guess he was getting his fruit whether I thought he needed it or not. Nothing else in the trash would be touched.

Of course nobody eats a banana peel.

If I'm the only one who was weighing the entire banana, with the peel, then logging that, then I suppose I'm the only silly person on this board. :D

Ever had apple bananas? I love those!

Never had an apple banana. :eek:

But I've seen them at the store... I'll have to give them a try. I've been skeptical because they are so dark, but supposedly that's when they are best (sweetest). I just googled them and they look enticing. :)

Yep, they are actually ripe when they turn dark. I got some for a friend to try but I think he thought they were already bad and probably tossed them, lol. :D

I keep them in the fridge. They don't get mushy and they last a lot longer than regular bananas too.

Thanks for doing the research Vito. I wonder why the database would have info that would assume we're eating the peel?! ;->

Since I don't always have a scale handy, my question was how to measure the banana. I was curious because it was often hard to decide if I had "large" or "extra large" bananas.

So, should one measure the banana from tip to tip ("bypassing" the curve of the banana), or along the curve? And it along the curve, where, on the banana should you measure? the results could be quite different!

For the same banana:
tip-to-tip measurement = 5.75" = "extra smal'" = 72 cal
along the smallest curve = 6.25" = "small" = 90 cal
through middle of curve = 7" = "medium" = 105 cal
along the longest curve = 8" = "large" = 121 cal
weight (without peel) = 98 gr = 88 cal (I'm going to assume this is the most accurate measurement)

This means that when I don't have the ability to weigh my (unpeeled) banana, I measure along the smallest ("inside") curve of the banana.

hope that helps some folks out there.

Michelle

I don't know, Michelle, but I thought it strange enough to mention! :D

By the way, you obviously found this thread through a search. Nice work! :)

I have to admit my earlier response in this thread was a total blonde moment! No offense to blondes! :D ... I get now that you were discussing the weights and whether to weigh it with the peel or not! Duh! Sometimes I don't know where my mind is!

LOL no problem April. I like 'banana blonde' moments! :D ;)

Vito

Haha! I have a warehouse guy who comes to my desk off and on all day and I give him work to do. Every morning he sees my banana and says "I don't want to watch you eat that" LOL :rolleyes:

I guess a comeback could be "Just like I don't want to watch you watching porn". :D

off topic note, since we're talking about weird items in the database - every time I search for milk, I wonder if anyone ever uses the "milk, human" database info. :eek:

just sayin'

Michelle

Wow, human milk? I've never saw that. I guess that's good though, for mothers who are nursing an maybe want to track how many calories their little one is getting.

sure, we'll go with that theory then. ;-D

Now I'm on the lookout for other weird and wacky items in the db; I'll keep you posted.

LOL I'll be waiting with bated breath! :D

You can always log "walking to the outhouse"

And let's not forget these :D

http://www.fitday.com/fitness/forums...ctivities.html

Of course, "weird" to us isn't weird to the ones who actually want/need these activities listed. Just sayin'. :D

Ya think people with outhouses have internet? ;)

SURE! They use wireless along with their laptop of course (while using the facilities). :D

Actually outhouses are not uncommon in some places, even today. A lot of hunting camps in rural PA still use them even though the camps now have running water, as a backup. I've used one when there was snow on the ground and 20 degrees at night. Let's just say it was as quick as possible. :D

Nice how you choose PA as your example! LOL .... Note my location? ... In my region we have a lot of "Amish" but most of them have indoor plumbing now too.

Hey "your" location used to me "my" location! :)

I've hunted in Tionesta State Park (where the camp with the outhouse is), biked in Lancaster County (Amish), and lived in Philly. I miss PA. A lot.

I love it here too. We live about 2 hrs east of pittsburgh in a tiny town called Roaring Spring. We moved away to Columbus Oh for about a year once about 17 yrs ago but that didn't last long in the 'big city'. We love the rural living!

I've probably passed right by your way many a time going from Philly to Pittsburgh to visit my buddies. Yeah, there's nothing quite like the rolling hills of the PA countryside.

My latest "I wonder why" about the db, is why does "chocolate, truffle, prepared from recipe" default to the full recipe? (at 3,000+ calories)?!?!?

I mean, yeah, sure, I've thought about eating the whole batch, but if your on a food tracking site, this probably isn't something your gonna do, right? :D

Happy Monday everyone

Michelle

The skin is the most nutritious part
 

I know all this was well over 2 years ago but I created an account just to say that there is more nutrition in the skin than in the fruit as with many other fruits.

I slice a banana with the skin on and add it to my smoothie each day.

The bananas I get weigh about 4.5 to 5oz and I'm still not sure about the calories. Never counted before but need to shed some weight now for the first time in my life and had a lot of success with the Every Other Day Diet but my smoothie is way over 500 calories so cannot have it on the 500 days.

Haven't read all the rules so not sure if I'm able to post links but just Google 'banana skin nutrition' and you can all see what I'm talking about :)

Don't think it would taste that good eating it on it's own but in my beetroot juice based smoothies it's fine.

Thanks for sharing such useful piece of information.

I do the same
tasty and healthy

Try an omelet with a banana. It's very tasty