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Vegetables and starchy roots

Boiled green plantain

Boiled green plantains have 121 kcal and 2.6 g of fiber per 100 g (3.5 oz), a low energy density.

USDA description: Plantain, green, boiled

  • Easy to digest

Estimated satietyHow it is calculated

Starting point+1
Low energy density: 121 kcal/100 g+1
Protein: 0.9 g/100 kcal0
Fiber: 2.1 g/100 kcal+1
Solid food with 69.1 g of water, under 700

Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.

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Last updated
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Sources
10 primary and 1 supporting
Data
USDA FDC 168216

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Nutrition facts

Calories
145 kcal per serving
121 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Protein
1.3 g per serving
1.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates
35 g per serving
29.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which sugars
2.7 g per serving
2.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fiber
3.1 g per serving
2.6 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fat
0.1 g per serving
0.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which saturated
0.1 g per serving
0.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Water
82.9 g per serving
69.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Source: USDA FoodData Central: Plantains, green, boiled (FDC ID 168216), accessed September 23, 2026.

A typical 120 g (4 oz) serving provides about 145 kcal, 1.3 g of protein, and 3.1 g of fiber.

The typical serving (120 g (4 oz)) is a common amount used for the math, not a recommendation. Ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents; the values come from the database entry cited in the sources.

What it is and how to eat it

Green plantain is, according to the Diccionario de americanismos, the unripe fruit of the plantain plant, and it records the name plátano verde in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia, and in Mexico and Cuba it records plátano macho as a plantain variety; the Dictionary of the Spanish Language describes this cooking plantain as much larger, more curved and greener on the outside than the common banana. It is used for patacones and tostones, slices that are smashed and fried according to the same Diccionario de americanismos, and it goes boiled into stews such as sancocho, which the Dictionary of the Spanish Language defines as a pot of meat, cassava, plantain and other ingredients. This page covers boiled green plantain according to USDA, with 121 kcal, 29.2 g of carbohydrate, 24.5 g of it starch, and 2.6 g of fiber per 100 g.

A 120 g (4.2 oz) serving provides 145 kcal, 35 g of carbohydrate and barely 1.3 g of protein, so it is the starch part of the plate and goes alongside the protein, which the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests eating first, such as eggs, beans, fresh cheese, chicken or fish. Boiled, it is soft and easy to eat, and it fits the first few days of treatment, when the same advisory suggests avoiding fatty foods. Patacones and tostones are fried, so they are best left for when food is better tolerated.

What the evidence says

A 2013 review in Advances in Nutrition lists raw green banana starch as type 2 resistant starch, the kind that is not digested in the small intestine, but explains that cooking gelatinizes it and makes it highly digestible, and that part of it becomes resistant again, as type 3, when it cools, especially at refrigerator temperature; the review refers to bananas in general, not plantains, and gives no figures for boiled plantain. With 2.6 g of fiber per 100 g it falls short of the 3 g for a "source of fibre" claim, but its 2.1 g per 100 kcal meet the EU's other criterion, 1.5 g per 100 kcal, although they fall short of the 3 g per 100 kcal for a "high fibre" claim (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). It has 48 µg of folate per 100 g, more than the 30 µg the EU requires for a "source of folate" claim, so it could carry the authorized claim "folate contributes to normal blood formation" (Regulations (EU) No 1169/2011 and (EU) No 432/2012).

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.

Satiety

The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.

What to keep in mind on a GLP-1 medication

Easy to digest
It is a soft or low-fat food that many people tolerate well when they feel nauseous or get full quickly. This is an editorial judgment based on common patient guidance, not a measurement: everyone tolerates foods differently.

Frequently asked questions about boiled green plantains

How many grams of protein are in a 120 g (4 oz) serving of boiled green plantains?

100 g (3.5 oz) of boiled green plantains has 1.1 g of protein. A typical 120 g (4 oz) serving has about 1.3 g of protein. That is 0.9 g of protein per 100 kcal.

How many kcal are in a 120 g (4 oz) serving of boiled green plantains?

100 g (3.5 oz) of boiled green plantains has 121 kcal. A typical 120 g (4 oz) serving has about 145 kcal. That is a low energy density.

How much fiber is in a 120 g (4 oz) serving of boiled green plantains?

100 g (3.5 oz) of boiled green plantains has 2.6 g of fiber. A typical 120 g (4 oz) serving has about 3.1 g of fiber.

Do boiled green plantains keep you full?

Moderately: our estimated satiety score is 3 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) + 1 (low energy density: 121 kcal/100 g) + 0 (protein: 0.9 g/100 kcal) + 1 (fiber: 2.1 g/100 kcal) + 0 (solid food with 69.1 g of water, under 70) = 3. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.

What should I know about boiled green plantains if I take Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound and feel nauseous?

Based on our tags, this is what matters about boiled green plantains on a GLP-1 medication. “Easy to digest”: a soft or low-fat food that many people tolerate well when they feel nauseous or get full quickly. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.

What is a typical serving of boiled green plantains?

We use 120 g (4 oz) as a typical serving. That amount provides about 145 kcal, 1.3 g of protein, and 3.1 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.

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Sources

Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.

  1. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Plantains, green, boiled (FDC ID 168216).accessed .
  2. InstitutionAssociation of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE).Diccionario de americanismos (Dictionary of Americanisms): "plátano (plátano verde, plátano macho)" (in Spanish).accessed .
  3. InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "plátano (plátano grande, plátano verde)" (in Spanish).accessed .
  4. InstitutionAssociation of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE).Diccionario de americanismos (Dictionary of Americanisms): "patacón" (in Spanish).accessed .
  5. InstitutionAssociation of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE).Diccionario de americanismos (Dictionary of Americanisms): "tostón" (in Spanish).accessed .
  6. InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "sancocho" (in Spanish).accessed .
  7. Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
  8. Other sourceAdvances in Nutrition.Birt DF, et al. Resistant starch: promise for improving human health. Adv Nutr. 2013;4(6):587-601. doi:10.3945/an.113.004325.accessed .
  9. RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (Annex).accessed .
  10. RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Annex XIII, nutrient reference values).accessed .
  11. RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods.accessed .