Tre Americane | Food Waste = Calories + Nutrients

Sometimes it’s easier, tastier and more aesthetically pleasing to peel fruits and veggies.

Carrot peels? Bitter.
Potato peels? Too many bumps and divots.
Squash? Is it even possible to chew through the tough skin…?

I’m positive that these thoughts have crossed your mind at least once in your effort to maintain a healthy diet, and that’s certainly nothing to be ashamed about. However, in your quest to get rid of the “less appealing” parts of the foods rich in vitamins, minerals and lots of other nutrients, have you ever stopped to consider exactly what you’re throwing out?

The majority of fruits and vegetables have lots of beneficial nutrients in their skin. When we choose to toss these parts in the compost, not only are we losing out on our own health, but we’re also contributing even more to the piles upon piles of food waste already accumulating in our compost bins. Search “nutrients in the skins of fruits and vegetables” on Google, and you’ll be overwhelmed by the plethora of websites discussing how apple peels have “X” benefits, or cucumber skins will do certain “amazing” things for your skin. It’s easy to get pulled into random, non-credible websites with lengthy articles talking about this topic, but as a student studying nutrition, I’m here to synthesize and clarify what is necessary to know.

It’s about to get real science-y in here.

Here are a few nutritional reasons why you shouldn’t peel your next fruit or vegetable:

Carrots

Why not give the dirt a good scrubbin’ and eat your next carrot in its whole form? Carrots have lots of carotene in them, which our body transforms into Vitamin A. This vitamin is good for both our immune systems and for our vision and eye health; however, the peeling process breaks the cells contained in the outer skin of carrots and releases some of the carotene contained in those cells. Long story short, you’re losing out on some carotene when you peel your carrots.

It’s also interesting to know that the deeper the color of the skin of carrots, the more carotene it contains. You might notice that the bright orange color fades as you get closer to the center of the carrot, so by removing the peel, you’re missing out. Finally, there are also lots of phenolics and antioxidant properties in carrot skins. Hello, fiber and strong immune systems!

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Cucumbers

Sure, cucumber peels can be tough, bumpy and a teeny bit prickly, but their skins are rich in dietary fiber! Say goodbye to your morning bowl of bran flakes and hello to lots of cucumbers WITH skins for lunch or dinner. Dietary fiber helps to reduce constipation and can even help to move your last heavy meal of pasta through your digestive tract more quickly for elimination. I don’t know about your typical meals, but after some of the food I’ve had in Italy, that sounds pretty darn helpful to me.

 Eggplants

Eggplants have a powerful antioxidant called nasunin in their skin (exclusive to the skin!). Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals that usually destroy cells and cellular DNA in the body. There’s also a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin  found in lots of red, blue and purple veggies – exclusive to their skin, and anthocyanins are just another source of antioxidants. Since the inside of eggplants is white instead of vibrant purple, it means that you’re losing out on all those antioxidants! Not sure about the flavor of eggplant skins? Try salting the eggplant and leaving it to drain out in a colander before adding it to your next recipe.

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Potatoes

It turns out that most of the beneficial vitamins and minerals are actually found in the peels of potatoes instead of the flesh itself! There’s a bunch of dietary fiber concentrated in the peels (5 times more fiber than what is in the flesh), as is the case with other vegetables like cucumbers and apples, but it’s also important to know that a lot of the potassium and iron in potatoes is concentrated in the most unappealing part of the potato. In fact, a whole potato is 70% higher in iron and 35% higher in potassium than a peeled one. Iron aids in the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin, while potassium is important in regulating water balance and muscle contraction. Both very necessary to keep us functioning and healthy!

 Apples

At the Impact Hub where Senza Spreco is housed, I see lots of Italians peeling their apples for lunch. I was surprised to see this! Did you know that there are 5 grams of fiber in apples when you eat the peel and only 3 grams without the peel? If you’re looking to reach the amount of fiber that you should be consuming each day (women=25 grams and men=38 grams), these 2 grams make a difference!

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Recipe Ideas

Are you used to not usually not using the skin of certain fruits and veggies? Try it in these recipes:
– Use the skin of potatoes in mashed potatoes and you’ll find it to be really yummy and adds texture!
– Use the skins of squash, apples and carrots in soups because the soups will be pureed anyways (the skins of certain types of squash can actually be really yummy just roasted, too)
– Add apple peels to smoothies for extra fiber if you or your kids don’t like apple skins (freeze them if you aren’t making a smoothie right away!) Additionally, applesauce is pureed anyways, so it makes sense to keep the skin on!

Plus…it’s just easier to skip the whole process of peeling, right? Spare your compost bin of beneficial nutrient peels; both the Earth and your body will be happy you did 🙂

Disclaimer: there are lots of harmful chemicals mainly concentrated in the skins of fruits and vegetables when they are produced conventionally. If possible, try to consume produce that has been grown with responsible practices (i.e.-“organic”) to get the most out of it!

Moriah Maternoski

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