Banana vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Banana and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
banana
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in banana and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Banana has 22.6 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Spirulina has 75% less sugar than banana.
- Spirulina has more beta-carotene than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than banana.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and banana has 69% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, banana is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Banana | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | 93% | 25% |
| Fat | 3% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spirulina and banana contain similar amounts of carbs - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spirulina and banana are high in dietary fiber. Spirulina has 38% more dietary fiber than banana - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spirulina has 75% less sugar than banana - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 51 times more protein than banana - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Banana has 22.6 times less saturated fat than spirulina - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has 867% more Vitamin A than banana - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than banana - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 50 times more Vitamin K than banana - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both banana and spirulina contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Banana | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.665 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.334 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.367 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 20 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 23 times more calcium than banana - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 108 times more iron than banana - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both spirulina and banana are high in potassium. Spirulina has 281% more potassium than banana - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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, spirulina has more beta-carotene than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Banana | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 26 UG | 342 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 25 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than banana per 100 grams.
| Banana | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.027 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.027 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than banana per 100 grams.
| Banana | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.046 G | 1.254 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 (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and banana has 70% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Is spirulina or banana better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 51 times more protein than banana - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Does spirulina or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spirulina and banana contain similar amounts of carbs - spirulina has 23.9g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does spirulina or banana contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 23 times more calcium than banana - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or banana contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 108 times more iron than banana - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
Does spirulina or banana contain more potassium?
Both spirulina and banana are high in potassium. Spirulina has 280% more potassium than banana - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.