Banana shakes can be a tasty treat. But it's important to carefully count the calories in a banana shake to ensure that they don't put you over your daily calorie goal.
Calories in Bananas
All banana shakes have bananas; however, not all bananas have the same calories. The number of calories in a banana will vary with its size. According to CalorieKing, the calories in a banana range from 72 in an extra-small banana that's less than 6 inches long to 135 in an extra-large banana that's more than 9 inches long.
Calories in Other Ingredients
Every banana shake recipe has its own twist, but most include ice cream and milk at the very minimum; these ingredients also vary in calorie count based on the variety you choose. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, vanilla ice cream ranges in calories from 109 to 184 in a half-cup serving. The USDA lists milk as ranging in calories from 83 to 146 in a 1-cup serving.
Considerations
If you look to the three basic ingredients of bananas, ice cream and milk, you will find that the nutritional value of these calories isn't extremely high. A large percentage of the calories in a banana shake will be from sugars and other carbohydrates and, thus, merit a banana shake being given the official status of "treat," not "nutritional staple."
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