The banana pepper is a versatile and flavorful pepper available in various colors and sizes. But what about banana pepper calories and nutritional benefits? This article explores the calorie count, nutritional profile, potential health benefits, and culinary uses of banana peppers so you can make informed dietary choices.
Caloric Content and Macronutrient Breakdown
If you’re trying to track your calories or macros, you may be wondering just how many calories are in a banana pepper.
Calories per Serving
A small banana pepper that’s about 4 inches long contains approximately 9 calories. One cup of sliced banana peppers has about 33 calories.
Because they’re so low in calories, banana peppers can be a great addition to a balanced diet.
Macronutrient Profile
Here’s the macronutrient breakdown of a single small banana pepper:
- Carbohydrates: 1.8g total carbs, 0.6g net carbs, 1.1g fiber
- Protein: 0.5g
- Fat: 0.1g
And here’s what you’ll get from a cup of sliced banana peppers:
- Protein: 2g
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 7g, 4g fiber, 2g sugar
Banana peppers: A micronutrient treasure
Banana peppers may be low in calories, but they’re loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Key vitamins
A cup of sliced banana peppers contains 103 mg of vitamin C, which is more than the recommended daily value. They’re also a good source of vitamin B6, providing more than a quarter of the recommended daily value in each cup.
Essential minerals
Like many fruits and vegetables, banana peppers contain potassium, magnesium, and iron. These micronutrients are essential for maintaining fluid balance, bone strength, energy levels, and overall health.
What are the health benefits of banana peppers?
Banana peppers might be good for you. Some early studies suggest that Vitamin C could help regulate blood pressure. Also, banana peppers contain capsaicin, which some researchers believe may speed up your metabolism and reduce fat storage in the body.
There’s also some evidence that banana peppers could improve brain function and help with digestion.
Of course, more studies are needed to confirm these potential benefits.
To Conclude
Banana peppers are low in calories and high in nutrients. They’re also incredibly versatile in the kitchen and may offer potential health benefits.
For all these reasons, consider adding banana peppers to your diet as part of a healthy lifestyle. You might be surprised at how much flavor and nutrition they bring to the table!