Banana vs. Romaine Lettuce

Nutrition comparison of Banana and Romaine Lettuce


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

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

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

  • Both romaine lettuce and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Romaine lettuce has 5.9 times less carbohydrates than banana.
  • Romaine lettuce has 9.2 times less sugar than banana.
  • Romaine lettuce has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than romaine lettuce.
  • Romaine lettuce has more thiamin and folate, however, banana contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Romaine lettuce has signficantly less calories than banana.
  • Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K.
  • Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of banana and romaine lettuce 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 Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Banana src
Image of Romaine Lettuce src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Romaine lettuce has signficantly less calories than banana - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, banana is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to romaine lettuce per calorie. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for romaine lettuce, 23:64:13 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Banana Romaine Lettuce
Protein 5% 23%
Carbohydrates 93% 64%
Fat 3% 13%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Romaine lettuce has 5.9 times less carbohydrates than banana - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

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

sugar

Romaine lettuce has 9.2 times less sugar than banana - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Romaine lettuce and banana contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Banana has 118% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 144 times more Vitamin A than banana - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Romaine lettuce and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 204 times more Vitamin K than banana - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Banana Romaine Lettuce
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.072 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.067 MG
Niacin 0.665 MG 0.313 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.334 MG 0.142 MG
Vitamin B6 0.367 MG 0.074 MG
Folate 20 UG 136 UG

Minerals

calcium

Romaine lettuce has 560% more calcium than banana - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.

iron

Romaine lettuce has 273% more iron than banana - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.

potassium

Both romaine lettuce and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 45% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg 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, both banana and romaine lettuce contain small amounts of kaempferol.

Banana Romaine Lettuce
kaempferol 0.11 mg 0.02 mg
myricetin 0.01 mg ~
Quercetin 0.06 mg 2.2 mg
luteolin ~ 0.05 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, romaine lettuce has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.

Banana Romaine Lettuce
beta-carotene 26 UG 5226 UG
alpha-carotene 25 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 22 UG 2312 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Banana Romaine Lettuce
alpha linoleic acid 0.027 G 0.113 G
Total 0.027 G 0.113 G

omega 6s

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

Banana Romaine Lettuce
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.047 G
Total 0.046 G 0.047 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Banana or Romaine Lettuce .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .

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FAQ

Does romaine lettuce or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?
Romaine lettuce has signficantly less calories than banana - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.

Does romaine lettuce or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, romaine lettuce has 5.9 times fewer carbohydrates than banana - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

Does romaine lettuce or banana contain more potassium?
Both romaine lettuce and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 50% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.