Apples and bananas are the two most reached-for fruits worldwide, both endlessly portable and endlessly compared — but they’re built quite differently underneath the skin.
| Nutrient | Apple | Banana |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 52 kcal | 89 kcal |
| Protein | 0.26 g | 1.09 g ✓ |
| Total Carbohydrate | 13.81 g | 22.84 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.4 g | 2.6 g ✓ |
| Total Sugars | 10.39 g ✓ | 12.23 g |
| Total Fat | 0.17 g | 0.33 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.03 g ✓ | 0.11 g |
| Sodium | 1 mg | 1 mg |
Notable compounds in each
When to choose each
Reach for apples when sugar is a consideration — they carry meaningfully less than bananas for the same weight — or when you want a crisp, low-calorie snack. Reach for bananas for more potassium and a touch more protein and fibre, along with their well-known role as a quick, easily digested source of energy before or after exercise. Both are genuinely excellent everyday fruit choices.
Common questions
Which is better before a workout? Bananas have the edge here — their easily digested carbohydrate and potassium content is a large part of why they’re a staple pre- and post-exercise snack.
Does apple skin matter nutritionally? Yes — a meaningful share of an apple’s fibre and polyphenol content sits in and just under the skin, so peeling it removes some of that benefit.
Nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central approximations — see our editorial approach for how we source and verify data.