Wellness & Healthy Living

Unripe bananas have the most resistant starch, making them best for blood sugar. cegli / Getty Images A banana’s color can tell you a lot about its nutrition. As it ripens from green to yellow to brown, its starch, sugar, antioxidants, and fiber levels shift. While no stage is “healthiest,” understanding these stages can help you pick the banana that best supports your goals. The Four Stages of Ripeness Banana ripeness can be divided into several stages, but four practical levels matter most for nutrition: 1 2 Green:  Unripe Green with yellow traces:  Slightly ripe Fully yellow:  Ripe Yellow with brown spots:  Overripe As bananas move through these stages, their starch gradually breaks down into sugars, antioxidants increase, and fiber levels decline. 3 1 1. Green: Best for Blood Sugar LordRunar / Getty Images Green bananas are firm, not very sweet, and packed with resistant starch, a type of non-digestible carbohydrate that acts like dietary fiber. These are conside...

Which Is Better for Blood Sugar, Fiber, and Potassium? Dates and bananas are both part of a healthy diet. When it comes to naturally sweet, nutrient-packed snacks, dates and bananas are two top contenders. Bananas might be better for blood sugar balance, while dates have a tiny bit more fiber. Both pack in a good amount of potassium. Bananas May Be Slightly Better for Blood Sugar A medium banana contains: 1 18 g of sugar A typical serving of dates (about 4 to 5 dates) contains: 2 20 to 25 g of sugar While dates have slightly more sugar than bananas, it's not just about the numbers. Dates have a  lower glycemic index , meaning they release sugar more slowly into the bloodstream. Dates are high in sugar overall, but they’re not likely to spike your blood sugar as quickly as something like candy or soda. 3  This makes dates a great sweet treat alternative. Bananas also offer a  gentle impact on blood sugar , especially when they’re slightly underripe. 4  Greener bananas...