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To be honest I used to think plantain is just banana…period…. I was dead wrong. Today I know that plantain is not just simply a different food, it is one of the World's Healthiest Foods.
Before we look at its calorie content, let me tell you some great news about plantain. The fruit is low in fat, cholesterol and salt and high in fibre.
The potassium in plantain is very good for the heart and helps to prevent heart attack, cancer and stroke and helps lower blood pressure.
It is a good source of vitamins A, B6, and C which helps maintain vision, good skin, and build immunity against diseases, explains the World's Healthiest Foods website. Plantains contain probiotics that aid colon and kidney health.
The bad news is that a large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars and as research shows sugar the main cause of obesity.
The Produce for Better Health Foundation states that a half of a plantain is considered one serving. A half of a plantain contains 110 calories, consequently 1 whole plantain contains 220 calories (raw and cooked).
Most of us, however, like fried plantain instead of the cooked version and we don’t even know how high price we pay for that pleasure. One single slice of plantain contains 68 calories and calories from fat are 32. If you break down the calorie content in fried plantain you get the following: 44% fat, 54% carbs, 2% protein.
So my advice is, even though plantain is such a great source of vitamins and minerals, try to eat it in the morning or maximum at lunch (never in the evening) if you want to lose weight. As we know protein can help you lose weight and plantain contains more carbohydrate.
