It has become a habit for many: when preparing fruits or vegetables, first of all, you need to take a knife and remove the skin. But it is not always necessary. The peel contains important nutrients. You may not have known that discarded fruit and peels contribute to climate change.

Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals (chemicals from plants) such as antioxidants. Perhaps the consumption of 400 grams per day, as recommended by the World Health Organization, is too much for someone. But can fruit and vegetable peels add important nutrients to the diet?

Of course. For example, vitamins such as riboflavin (B2) and vitamin C, minerals such as iron and zinc are found in the skins of seven root vegetables: beetroot, mustard, carrot, sweet potato, radish, ginger and white potato. And unpeeled apples contain 15% more vitamin C, 267% more vitamin K, 20% more calcium, 19% more potassium and 85% more fiber than peeled apples.

Many peels are rich in bioactive phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols, which have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, uneaten food, including the skin, creates 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet (food rotting in the field releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas).

And just a country like New Zealand with a small population (5.1 million) reports 13,658 tonnes of vegetable peels and 986 tonnes of fruit peels as waste annually.

Then why do people clean them? Some really need it because the outer parts are inedible, bad tasting, hard to peel or go bad – bananas, watermelon, pineapple, mango, avocado, onion and garlic. Or so the recipe calls for, as with mashed potatoes. But many skins like potatoes, beets, potatoes, carrots, kiwis and cucumbers are edible, but people still throw them away.

Pesticide residues

Some people peel fruits and vegetables because they are afraid of pesticides on their surface. The remains are usually on the surface or slightly below it, also depending on the type of plant. But many of these residues can be removed by washing. It is also recommended to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly in cold water and brush to remove pesticides, dirt and chemicals.

Cooking methods such as boiling or steaming can also reduce leftovers. But not all can be removed by washing or boiling. And concerned people will continue to flake.

There are many solutions online for cleaning fruits and vegetables, including using the peels for compost, worm farms, or using them in recipes. By reducing waste and increasing our consumption of fruit and vegetables, we can help achieve the UN’s goal of halving food waste by 2030.

Sources: The Conversation, Healthline