If you are in the habit of peeling every fruit and veggie, you are losing on much of its nutrients. Here’s when to drop your peeler!
Technological advancement has blessed us with all kinds of modern kitchen appliances that makes chopping and peeling fruits and veggies the easiest. Nevertheless, consuming some food from nature’s bounty as it is sans processing or cooking, much like the primitive ways is healthy. If your fruits or veggies have qualities like a hard outer-peel, bitter skin or is in-organic and contains a high level of pesticide, you should peel it else peeling is just a waste of time and creating food waste unnecessarily. Some vegetables and fruits lose their nutrition value with the peel.
Here’s listing some fruits and veggies that are better consumed with their peel.
Apples
The antioxidant property of apple skin helps in fighting against Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative problems. Compounds like triterpenoids, decrease the risk of several acute diseases.
Cucumber
Cucumber, the humble salad ingredient has innumerable health benefits. Cucumber skin contains a special gut-loving ingredient called fibre and a skin-loving ingredient called silica.
Potatoes
There is a reason why potato skins make delectable starter recipes. The skin contains a lot of fibre, minerals like potassium and magnesium that are necessary for heart health. Potato peels are a natural source of flavonoids, a type of phytonutrient that shows anti-inflammatory & antioxidant effects.
Pears
The skin of pears is thin and edible. The skin holds half of the dietary fibres of the fruit. Its skin also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients so don’t take the hassle of peeling pears.
Eggplant
Unless you are allergic to the skin on eggplant, you can leave it on. The bright purple skin has flavonoids that protects brain cell membranes and assists in the transport of nutrients and the removal of waste.
Kiwis
Kiwis are mostly scooped out from its soft peel but it is also edible. Eating it with the skin on triples its fibre content as its skin preserves much of the Vitamin C making the nutrient-dense fruit more nutritious.
Mangoes
Not many know that mango skin contains fat burning properties. It also contains polyphenols, omega-3, carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids that help in fighting heart diseases and diabetes. So if you cannot consume mango skin with its juicy flesh, make a pickle of jam out of it.
If your goal is to increase the nutritional value of your diet, experts say to eat fruits and veggies with the peel on unless it is rough and non-digestible or you have formed some aversion to it. Remember if you are not peeling these fruits and veggies, wash them thoroughly before consuming.
