Peeling a potato before dinner or stripping the skin from an apple has become pure habit.
But before reaching for the peeler, consider what ends up in the bin: fruit and vegetable skins hold up to 50% more fibre alongside a concentrated dose of essential vitamins and minerals.
While not every rind is palatable, keeping the skin on everyday staples like kiwis, potatoes, and carrots is an effortless way to squeeze far more nutrition - and far less waste - out of the food already on your plate.
Dietitian Paballo Lesedi Mohale, of NutriWorx Dietetic Services, says keeping the skin on certain produce can be a simple way to make the most of the food on your plate while getting additional nutritional benefits.
The peel might pack a nutritional punch
When it comes to the nutritional value of fruit and vegetable skins, Mohale shares that fibre is one of the biggest reasons to reconsider peeling your produce.
“Yes, the fruit and vegetable skins are more nutritious as compared to the flesh because they contain up to 50% more fibre,” she explains.
Dietary fibre is an important part of a balanced diet and plays a role in supporting healthy digestion.
This means that including more fibre-rich foods in your meals can therefore be beneficial, especially when fruit and vegetables are already a regular part of your diet.
However, the nutritional benefits of the skin extend beyond fibre.
More than just fibre
Fruit and vegetable skins can contain a range of vitamins and minerals, however, the exact nutrients and amounts vary depending on the type of produce.
Mohale reveals that vitamin C in fruits such as oranges and green leafy vegetables such as spinach are a source of iron.
Fruits and vegetables are also important sources of dietary fibre, which is one of the reasons they are encouraged as part of a healthy and varied diet.
“Skins offer up to 50% more fibre and we get a ton of vitamins such as vitamin C in kiwis and peaches and vitamin A in carrots,” she says.
This makes the outer layer worth considering when preparing certain fruits and vegetables, rather than automatically treating it as waste.
These are the skins worth keeping
For anyone wanting to start adding more edible skins into their diet, there are several familiar options.
“For fruits: kiwi, apples, pears and peaches. For vegetables: cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots,” Mohale recommends.
These foods can easily be included in everyday meals and snacks without the need to remove the skin first.
Apples and pears can be eaten whole, while peaches can be enjoyed as they are while cucumbers, carrots and potatoes can also be prepared with their skins.
Of course, the skin should always be washed thoroughly before eating, especially when it will be consumed directly.
Mohale also adds that you can eat a kiwi with the skin. Many people automatically remove the flesh and throw away the fuzzy exterior, unaware that the skin is edible.
“Many people actually do not know that kiwis can be eaten with the skin,” Mohale says.
If the texture of the skin is off-putting, it can take some getting used to, however, for those who don’t mind it, eating the whole fruit is an easy way to avoid unnecessary food waste while making use of more of the fruit.
You don’t have to completely change the way you eat
Incorporating edible skins into your diet doesn’t require a major lifestyle change. It can be as simple as changing the way you prepare foods you already eat.
For vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, Mohale recommends washing them well and cooking them with the skin on.
This can be useful when roasting or baking potatoes and sweet potatoes, where the skin can remain part of the finished dish.
Carrots and cucumbers can also be turned into quick, convenient snacks.
“We could also make carrots and cucumbers a part of our daily snacks by cutting them into strips,” Mohale says.
This makes it easy to include more vegetables in your day without complicated preparation.
Think twice before throwing it away
Beyond the nutritional benefits, keeping edible skins on your fruit and vegetables can also be a small step towards reducing food waste.
Instead of automatically removing and throwing the skin, consider whether it is edible and whether it can be added into a meal.
However, that doesn’t mean every peel should be eaten because some fruit and vegetable skins are tough, bitter or unsuitable for consumption.
But when it comes to everyday favourites such as apples, kiwis, carrots, potatoes and cucumbers, the skin can be worth keeping.
kamogelo.makhura@nationalmg.co.za