Half a medium banana is about 53 calories. Two medium bananas are 210, three are 315, and four are 420. Those numbers come from the USDA figure of 89 calories per 100g of raw banana and a medium banana weighing 118g — the same data behind our banana calorie page.
But here's the part nobody tells you when you search this: "a banana" is not a unit of measurement. An extra small banana and an extra large one differ by 71g — almost the weight of another extra small banana. Count four of them and the honest answer to "how many calories?" is somewhere between 288 and 541.
Banana Calories by Quantity
The middle column is what you want if you just need a number. The right column is what you want if you want to be right.
| How many | If medium (118g each) | Realistic range |
|---|---|---|
| Half a banana | 53 cal | 36–68 cal |
| 1 banana | 105 cal | 72–135 cal |
| 2 bananas | 210 cal | 144–271 cal |
| 3 bananas | 315 cal | 216–406 cal |
| 4 bananas | 420 cal | 288–541 cal |
The range column uses the USDA size bands: extra small (81g, 72 cal) at the bottom, extra large (152g, 135 cal) at the top. Every figure here is raw, peeled banana.
Why the Range Gets Silly Fast
Look at the four-banana row again. The gap between the low and high estimate is 253 calories — more than two actual medium bananas. The error in your guess is bigger than the thing you're guessing about.
This is why counting fruit is a worse habit than it feels like. One banana of unknown size is a rounding error nobody should care about. Four bananas of unknown size is a quarter of a day's deficit floating around unaccounted for. If bananas are a daily thing for you, weigh them once or twice — you'll learn what your usual banana actually is, and then you can stop weighing forever.
Our banana calorie breakdown lists every USDA size band by gram weight, plus 1 cup sliced (150g, 134 cal) and 1 cup mashed (225g, 200 cal) if you're baking rather than snacking.
What's Actually in Half a Banana
Half a medium banana is 59g. Scaled from the USDA per-100g values, that gives you:
- Calories: 53
- Carbs: 13.5g (7.2g of it sugar)
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 0.6g
- Fat: 0.2g
- Potassium: 211mg
If you came here wondering how much protein is in half a banana: 0.6 grams, which is close enough to zero that you should not be counting it. Bananas are a carbohydrate. That's not a criticism — it's just what they are, and it's why they work well before training and poorly as a standalone snack when you're hungry. Pair the half banana with something that has protein in it and you get a snack that actually holds. Our snack guide covers the pairings worth bothering with.
Do Bananas Fit a Calorie Deficit?
Yes, and the question is usually a proxy for a different worry — that bananas are "too sugary" or "too high carb" to eat while losing weight. At 105 calories for a medium one, a banana is one of the cheaper ways to eat something sweet. Compare it to dates, where the same weight costs you roughly three times the calories.
Two bananas a day at 210 calories is a perfectly normal thing to do inside a deficit — as long as those 210 calories are inside the budget rather than on top of it. That's the entire trick, and it's why the number in the table matters less than whether you're tracking it at all. If you don't know your budget yet, the calorie deficit calculator will give you a starting number, and our macro counting guide covers how to log without turning it into a second job.
And if the honest answer is that you're never going to weigh a banana: don't. Call it 105 calories, call two of them 210, and spend the attention you saved on the foods where a bad guess costs you 400 calories instead of 30. Full nutrition for the fruit is on our banana page.
Written by Espen Opdahl
Founder of Sunn. Building AI-powered nutrition coaching to make healthy eating simple. Nutrition data sourced from the USDA FoodData Central database.
Medical disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or exercise routine.