Are Banana Peppers Good For You? Nutrition Facts and Benefits

WWhether you’re a meal prep extraordinaire or eat a standard salad or sandwich for lunch every day, it’s important to have a variety of toppings on hand. shuzh on your plate. Spices, herbs, and seasonings all have their own unique qualities for adding flair and flavor to even the most bland dishes; and that goes for fresh and pickled produce, too. One such vegetable that doesn’t get much attention (but in my opinion, it should) is the humble banana pepper. It’s a satisfying blend of sweetness and spice, adding unexpected heat to dishes and dips.

Unfamiliar with banana peppers? They are a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum (i.e. bell peppers or sweet peppers) and are also related to chili peppers. They get their name from the yellow hue and shape of the eponymous fruit, but they definitely don’t taste like bananas. But could something as delicious as banana peppers, a staple of Italian hoagies around the world, actually be good for you?

Below, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of banana peppers, including what they taste like, how healthy they are, and dietitian-approved ways to incorporate them into your diet.

Nutritional Value of Banana Peppers

Wondering if banana peppers are good for you? Let’s start with their nutritional profile, which is honestly pretty impressive. According to the USDA, one cup of raw banana peppers contains:

• Calories: 33.5
• Egg white: 2 grams
• Fat: 0.56 grams
• Carbohydrates: 6.6 grams
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Sugar: 2.4 grams

They also contain calcium, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin A, along with traces of other important vitamins and minerals.

What are the benefits of banana peppers?

1. They are rich in gut-healthy fiber

“One cup of banana peppers contains 4 grams of fiber, a nutrient that helps us feel fuller longer,” says Heidi McIndoo, MS, RD, of FoodieMomRD. Fiber, which only 7 percent of adults get enough of daily, according to 2021 research from the American Society for Nutrition, is also beneficial for easy and regular digestion, heart health, and anti-aging.

2. They can support your immune system

Move over, oranges: Banana peppers can really put you to the test. One cup of raw banana peppers contains 103 milligrams of vitamin C, which is more than the recommended daily intake of 75 to 90 milligrams for adults. Your body uses vitamin C to support your immune system, make collagen, and help you absorb iron. What’s not to love?

3. They are rich in health-promoting capsaicin

McIndoo says banana peppers are a great source of capsaicin, a natural plant compound found in peppers. Capsaicin is known for the fire it gives chili and cayenne peppers, but it’s also been linked to several health benefits. According to a 2022 review in the journal MoleculesThe antioxidant may have antimicrobial, hypoglycemic and even anticancer effects and help treat pain and hypertension.

What does a banana pepper taste like?

Banana peppers are more sweet than spicy, and thus most closely resemble bell peppers in flavor. “Banana peppers are so much milder than most other peppers, you’d be surprised they even fall into the same category,” says McIndoo. “If you compare their heat to the popular jalapeno pepper, a jalapeno starts at about 2,500 Scoville heat units [SHU, the measure of heat or spiciness in a pepper]while the sweeter banana pepper is around 500 SHU.” Bell peppers, on the other hand, are the sweetest and mildest of the bunch, with an SHU of 0.

Basically, banana peppers taste like a spicier version of bell peppers. They offer a satisfying bit of heat for those who can’t handle the spicier jalapeños, serranos, poblanos, and the like.

Are Banana Peppers Good For You?

Yes, banana peppers are a healthy option for adding variety (and flavor) to your diet. “Variety in the foods we eat can increase the enjoyment of our meals and also help us meet more of our nutritional needs compared to eating the same foods over and over again,” says McIndoo. “Including more vegetables — including peppers — gives us more opportunities to get a wider variety of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.”

Just in case, eating more than 30 different types of plants per week is the most important predictor of a healthy gut microbiome, according to Findings from the American Gut Project²Luckily, eating more plants to reach this quota is easier than you might think, because each type of pepper—from banana peppers to red bell peppers to jalapeños—counts as a separate entity.

“Plus, flavorful foods like pepper mean we rely less on salt to flavor our meals,” McIndoo adds.

How to Use Banana Peppers in Cooking

Sweet, slightly spicy, and sour (when pickled), banana peppers can be a fun, fresh, and healthy addition to your diet. “We add banana peppers to our homemade pizzas and slice them to put on sandwiches,” says McIndoo. They’re also a great addition to salads (think Greek salad) and antipasto. Perhaps best known in their pickled form, these peppers can add a tangy flavor to liven up everything from salads to salsas.

“You can also try substituting them in recipes that call for other types of peppers,” McIndoo adds. “For example, use them in place of — or in addition to — jalapeños in salsa, dice them and roast them with green beans and onions, or mix them into burrito fillings or add them as a topping for tacos.” Basically, the delicious possibilities are endless.