September 2022

Like a beautifully wrapped gift, what’s on the outside is sometimes as good as
what’s on the inside.

That’s true of some of the things we eat, too.

According to Medical News Today, several vegetables and even more fruits have wrappings that are well worth eating.

Take potatoes, for example. Their skin has fiber and lots of nutrients, like vitamins B and C, potassium, calcium and iron.

Eggplant, too, has skin with much to offer. It’s a little chewy, but it’s loaded with antioxidants, especially the varieties with dark color. Purple eggplant has more nutrients in their skin than the white varieties, MNT notes.

And don’t peel those cucumbers if you want to get the veggie’s full value. In fact, most of their nutrients are in their dark green outer skin. They have lots of potassium, antioxidants and fiber. And they’re also rich in vitamin K, a nutrient that supports bone health and blood clotting. But if the cucumber you want to eat has a heavy waxed coating, like some of those you find in a supermarket, you might want to peel it anyway.

Zucchini peels can taste a little bitter, but they’re extremely nutritious and deserve your bite. You’ll get fiber, potassium and some extra vitamin C. The skin of a zucchini also has loads of antioxidants, like lutein, carotenoids and zeaxanthin, MNT says.

You can also reap the benefits of zucchini skin by combining it with other flavors, like in a salad, or by cooking them in one of the many dishes zucchiini is used.

On the fruit side of the ledger, some surprising treats are listed.

The fuzzy skin on peaches is packed with antioxidants and vitamins. It has lots of dietary fiber, too. Peach skin has loads of vitamin A. There are also carotenoids -- a kind of antioxidant and provitamin -- in peach skin. These could help lessen your chances of cataracts.

Watermelon rinds have an amino acid called citrulline that can help get rid of nitrogen in your blood and can also help ease pain if you have sore muscles. In fact, the rind has more citrulline than the juicy flesh. 

If you’re not keen on eating the rind raw, there are other ways to prepare and eat it. You can pickle it, juice it or stir fry it like a vegetable. Who knew?

Apples are another surprise. Their peels have more vitamins and fiber than what's inside. Fiber is helpful for stopping cholesterol buildup in your blood vessels. There’s also an antioxidant called quercetin that can help your brain and lungs work better.

Mangos are an interesting case, too. Their skin contains the chemical in poison ivy – called urushiol – that causes the itchy rash for most people who come in contact with it. If you don’t get a rash from poison ivy, great news -- the skin of a mango is chock-full of dietary fiber. It’s also packed with vitamins E and C, antioxidants, polyphenols, and carotenoids. On top of that, it has polyunsaturated fatty acids and both omega-3 and omega-6, MNT notes.

Kiwis have fuzzy, tough skin, but don’t let that stop you. You can scrape off the fuzz if you don’t like it. If you do eat the skin, you’ll get antioxidants, flavonoids (plant chemicals), and vitamin C. In fact, the skin has more of those nutrients than the inside does.

Bananas, too, have challenging skin. It’s tough to eat and tastes bitter. Still, the peel has some great health benefits. It has potassium and antioxidants, like lutein. Lutein is good for eye health. And banana peels have something called tryptophan, an amino acid.

Here’s an idea: you can boil banana skin for a few minutes, then bake in the oven to dry it out for a tea or a smoothie.

Last but not least on the MNT list are oranges. Their peels have an incredible amount of vitamin C -- twice the amount that’s inside the fruit. They’re also packed with vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and riboflavin (a B vitamin).

But orange peels are hard to digest and they can be bitter. So use a grater to make orange zest. You can use zest in salad dressings or sprinkle it directly on top of a salad. The flavor of the zest also goes well with chocolate and ice cream. That should make it a-ppealing!

So think twice before discarding those skins and peels. They’re worth using.