Put that peeler down! Did you know that a lot of fruits and veggies can be eaten with the skin on? Usually, we peel food to because we think it will taste bitter or isn't 'supposed' to be eaten, but in many cases we don't need to peel it at all! When you consider that fresh produce trimmings and peel are some of the most common types of food waste, eating more fruit and vegetables with the skin on will not only help save time but save the planet too!
Here are 8 fruits & vegetables that can surprisingly be eaten with the skin on:
1. Celery
The average person throws away about 15% of celery's weight because they think the woody part is un-chewable! But your teeth can tear through it easily. You can pull off the celery 'string' without having to completely peel the vegetable, leaving you with a nutrient-packed food that adds a great crunch to salads or veggie platters.
2. Carrot
Carrot peel is just as nutritious as the rest of the food, so don't be afraid to leave it on! Carrots are a root vegetable, which is why they have a tough-looking exterior skin but it's completely edible as long as the carrot has been thoroughly washed. If you're planning to use carrots in a stock, soup or stew, for juicing or roasting, keeping the skin on won't affect the taste.
3. Onion
We're not suggesting you leave all outer layers of onion skin on before cooking. But onions are a great source of Vitamin A and important antioxidants like quercetin. The onion skin is the part that contains the highest concentration of antioxidants, so don't be afraid to leave a little bit on your food when roasting or cooking as a meal base.
4. Potato and Sweet Potato
Potatoes and sweet potatoes don't need to be peeled before cooking. In fact, some people make entire dishes out of the skin itself! Keep your potato and sweet potato skins on when roasting, frying or mashing for texture and flavour.
5. Peach
The soft fuzz on peach skin might make you think it must be peeled to be eaten, but you can bite straight into the fruit without doing a thing! There is no need to remove peach skin when using the fruit in salads or grilling on the BBQ either. In fact, peaches are are so delicate that opting not to peel them will also prevent unnecessary bruises.
6. Papaya
Like peaches, you should buy papayas that have a little fuzz on them – it means they are ripe and ready to eat. The skin itself is edible and contains an enzyme called papain which has been shown to help your body to digest food. Perfect at breakfast time to kickstart your metabolism!
7. Lemon and Lime
Lemons and limes can be eaten with the skin on. The bright green and yellow fruits are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, and a particularly high concentration in the peel. Try freeze drying these citrus peels to use in salads, dishes or even adding them to your water bottle.
8. Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruit is another fuzzy-skinned that you can eat right way - no peeling (or scooping with a spoon) required! When the food is ripe or overripe, mashing it into a sauce is a great way to use food that would have otherwise been wasted.
