Some people have the habit of removing the skin from fruits and vegetables to be less exposed to pesticides. However, the skin is actually one of the most nutritious parts of fruits and vegetables.
For example, an unpeeled apple contains 332% more vitamin K, 142% more vitamin A, 115% more vitamin C, 20% more calcium and 19% more potassium than a peeled apple.
An unpeeled boiled potato contains 175% more vitamin C, 115% more potassium and 110% more magnesium and phosphorus than a peeled potato.
Additionally, the amount of antioxidants contained in fruit skin is 328 times greater than that contained in fruit flesh.
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The skin is actually one of the most nutritious parts of fruits and vegetables. Photo illustration by Freepik |
However, not all fruit and vegetable peels are edible. For example, avocado skin is impossible to eat, whether cooked or not. The rinds of melons, pineapples, onions and celery are also unpleasant to chew and digest. Citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, lemons and oranges, also have tough, bitter skins that are unpleasant to eat.
Also, it is undeniable that removing the skin is the best way to avoid consuming pesticides present in fruits and vegetables, since the simple act of washing them can only eliminate the pesticides present on their surface.
You can therefore choose to peel them or not depending on the types of fruits and vegetables you consume. The peels of pumpkins, onions, tropical fruits, lychees, pineapples, avocados and citrus fruits should be removed.
Meanwhile, the peels of apples, apricots, bananas, carrots, cherries, cucumbers, grapes, kiwis, mushrooms, green beans and potatoes are edible.
Nutritionist Pham Hong Ngoc
Vietnamese Institute of Applied Medicine