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:

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.

1. Green: Best for Blood Sugar

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Green bananas are firm, not very sweet, and packed with resistant starch, a t

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