Make Meals More A-Peeling

Boost Nutrients in Meals with Fruit and Vegetable Peels

Reducing waste and boosting taste to your meals is as easy as adding some apple peel to your sandwich. The skins and other discarded parts of fruits and veggies are packed with fiber and disease-fighting nutrients, so instead of tossing them out, get twice as many meals out of one food with these delicious ideas (just be sure to choose organic produce to avoid sketchy chemicals).

Potato Skins

Why: About half of the spud’s hunger-quelling fiber is in the skin.

How: Make potato crisps. Place peelings on a baking sheet and sprinkle with oil, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bake at 400°F until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

Apple Peels

Why: They contain nearly all of the fruit’s quercetin, an antioxidant that helps ward off certain cancers, according to a study in Nutrition Journal.

How: Add peels to a ham and cheese sandwich. Layer ham, thinly sliced apple peels, and grated Cheddar on a slice of whole grain bread, then broil until the cheese is bubbly.

Kiwi Peels

Why: Yep, they really are edible! They’re also rich in vitamin E and disease-fighting flavonoids.

How: Blend up this smoothie: Combine 1 unpeeled kiwifruit, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup orange juice, and 1/2 cup plain yogurt. Blend and enjoy!

Orange Peels

Why: They provide d-limonene, a compound that may protect against skin cancer.

How: Add orange peels to chili. Finely chop the peel and toss in 1 to 2 tablespoons with the beans, tomatoes, and spices.

Broccoli Stalks

Why: A single one contains more than a day’s worth of vitamin C.

How: Broccoli stalks are perfect for stir-fries. Peel the stalks—what’s inside is almost as tender as asparagus—and toss into a stir-fry.

Carrot Peels

Why: The beta-carotene protects the eyes, skin, and immune system.

How: Meat loaf and burgers and perfect for carrot peels. Mix shredded carrot and carrot peel with lean ground meat. Bonus: the carrots keep the meat from drying out.