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.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
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.
Banana g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Asparagus g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | 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.