Is a banana or an apple healthier?

Closer than the per-100g table makes it look, because the two fruits are not the same size. Per 100g a banana is 89 calories against 52 for an apple, with 22.8g of carbs per 100g against 13.8g. But a medium apple weighs 182g and a medium banana 118g, so the pieces of fruit themselves come out at 95 and 105 calories. The apple gives more bulk and fiber per piece; the banana gives more potassium.

Which has more sugar, a banana or an apple?

Per 100g the banana, at 12.2g of sugar per 100g against 10.4g for an apple. Per actual fruit the answer flips, since the apple is the bigger object: about 18.9g of sugar in a 182g medium apple against 14.4g in a 118g medium banana. Neither figure resembles a soft drink, and both arrive packaged with fiber and water.

Which has fewer calories, a banana or an apple?

The apple, and by a lot per 100g: 52 calories per 100g against 89 for a banana, a difference of 37 calories per 100g. Per piece the gap nearly vanishes, because a 182g medium apple is 95 calories and a 118g medium banana is 105. Size varies more than the fruit does. An extra small banana is 72 calories and a large apple is 116.

Which has more fiber, a banana or an apple?

They are level per 100g, 2.6g of fiber per 100g for a banana and 2.4g for an apple. Per piece the apple wins on size alone, roughly 4.4g of fiber in a 182g medium apple against 3.1g in a 118g banana. Keep the skin on, since much of an apple's fiber sits there. Either fruit covers something like a tenth to a sixth of a day.

Is a banana or an apple better for weight loss?

Bulk is the apple's advantage: 182g of fruit for 95 calories against 118g for 105. More chewing, more water and more fiber per calorie is most of what makes fruit filling. The banana is the more convenient one and the easier one to eat in thirty seconds. Both belong in a deficit, and neither one drives the outcome.

Which is better before a workout, a banana or an apple?

The banana, for two reasons visible in the data. It carries 22.8g of carbs per 100g against 13.8g for an apple, so a medium one delivers about 26.9g of carbohydrate against 25.1g from a much larger apple. It also has 358mg of potassium per 100g against 107mg, which is 422mg in a medium banana. Softer texture makes it easier to get down half an hour before you start.

Which is better for blood sugar, a banana or an apple?

The apple, on our numbers and on published glycemic index tables that put apples near 36 and bananas near 51. The data shows why: an apple has 11.4g of net carbs per 100g against 20.2g for a banana, and 10.4g of sugar per 100g against 12.2g. Ripeness matters as much as the fruit, since a spotted banana has turned more of its starch into sugar than a green one. Pairing either with protein or fat flattens the curve.

Banana

Apple

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Banana vs Apple

Apple

Wins in 2 of 6 categories

Compare banana and apple calories, sugar, fiber and potassium per 100g and per piece of fruit. See which one suits weight loss, workouts and blood sugar.

Verdict (USDA data)

Per 100g (USDA data), Banana has 89 calories vs Apple's 52. Pick Apple for fewer calories.

Sources: Banana (FDC 173944) · Apple (FDC 171688)

Nutrition Comparison (per 100g)

Nutrient	Banana		Apple
Calories	89	vs	52
Protein	1.1g	vs	0.3g
Carbs	22.8g	vs	13.8g
Fat	0.3g	vs	0.2g
Fiber	2.6g	vs	2.4g
Sodium	0mg	vs	0mg

Winner determined by: fewer calories, more protein, fewer carbs, less fat, more fiber, less sodium

Source: USDA FoodData Central. Banana: FDC 173944 · Apple: FDC 171688.

When to Choose Each

Choose Banana when:

You need quick carbs before training (22.8g of carbs per 100g vs 13.8g)
You want potassium (358mg of potassium per 100g vs 107mg)
You want the smaller piece of fruit (118g medium vs 182g)
You want a little protein with it (1.1g of protein per 100g vs 0.3g)

See full Banana nutrition

Choose Apple when:

You're counting calories per 100g (52 vs 89)
You want more fiber per piece (4.4g in a 182g apple against 3.1g in a banana)
You're eating lower-carb fruit (11.4g of net carbs per 100g vs 20.2g)
You want the bigger, slower snack (182g of fruit for 95 calories)

See full Apple nutrition

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Last updated: 2026-08-18

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