Plantains: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
OVERVIEW Plantains are the less sweet, starchier equivalent to the banana. Sweet bananas, sometimes called “dessert bananas” are much more popular in the United States and Europe, but plantains are an extremely important staple for people in tropical countries. Unlike dessert bananas, plantains are almost always cooked before eating. In fact, they taste pretty awful raw, so don’t be tricked by their banana-like features. Cooked plantains are nutritionally very similar to a potato, calorie-wise, but contain more of certain vitamins and minerals. They’re a rich source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and B-6, and the minerals magnesium and potassium. 1. Nutritious Plantains are rich sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, and are easily digestible. As a staple food, plantains have been the main ...