Banana vs. Asparagus

Nutrition comparison of Banana and Asparagus


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of banana versus asparagus (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in banana and asparagus:

  • Both asparagus and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Asparagus has 3.4 times less calories than banana.
  • Asparagus has 4.8 times less carbohydrates than banana.
  • Asparagus has 5.5 times less sugar than banana.
  • Asparagus has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than asparagus.
  • Asparagus has more thiamin and folate, however, banana contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Asparagus is a great source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of banana and asparagus is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Banana src
Image of Asparagus src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Asparagus has 3.4 times less calories than banana - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, banana is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to asparagus for fat. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for asparagus, 34:61:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Banana Asparagus
Protein 5% 34%
Carbohydrates 93% 61%
Fat 3% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Asparagus has 4.8 times less carbohydrates than banana - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both asparagus and banana are high in dietary fiber. Banana has 24% more dietary fiber than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Asparagus has 5.5 times less sugar than banana - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Asparagus and banana contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both asparagus and banana are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Banana has 55% more Vitamin C than asparagus - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Asparagus has 11 times more Vitamin A than banana - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Asparagus and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Asparagus has 82 times more Vitamin K than banana - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Asparagus has more thiamin and folate, however, banana contains more Vitamin B6. Both banana and asparagus contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Banana Asparagus
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.143 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.141 MG
Niacin 0.665 MG 0.978 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.334 MG 0.274 MG
Vitamin B6 0.367 MG 0.091 MG
Folate 20 UG 52 UG

Minerals

calcium

Asparagus has 380% more calcium than banana - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.

iron

Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 723% more iron than banana - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.

potassium

Both asparagus and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 77% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

flavonoids

Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]

For specific flavonoid compounds,

Banana Asparagus
kaempferol 0.11 mg 1.39 mg
myricetin 0.01 mg ~
Quercetin 0.06 mg 13.98 mg
isorhamnetin ~ 5.7 mg

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, asparagus has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than asparagus per 100 grams.

Banana Asparagus
beta-carotene 26 UG 449 UG
alpha-carotene 25 UG 9 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 22 UG 710 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, banana has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than asparagus per 100 grams.

Banana Asparagus
alpha linoleic acid 0.027 G 0.01 G
Total 0.027 G 0.01 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both banana and asparagus contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Banana Asparagus
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.04 G
Total 0.046 G 0.04 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) .

Banana g

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does asparagus or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?
Asparagus has 3.4 times less calories than banana - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.

Is asparagus or banana better for protein?
Asparagus and banana contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.

Does asparagus or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus has 4.8 times fewer carbohydrates than banana - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

Does asparagus or banana contain more potassium?
Both asparagus and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 80% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.