How does peeling fruits and vegetables affect their nutritional value?
Finally, health expert Dr. Maya Roseman peels away the misinformation surrounding this critical question. Should you be peeling fruits and vegetables
Is it true that all the nutritional value is found in the peels of fruits and vegetables? Is peeling good or bad? When we think about it, what fruits and vegetables do we peel? The tomatoes and peppers for our salad are never peeled, nor are lettuce or cabbage.
Then again, some fruits and vegetables are always peeled, like oranges and carrots. So what is the actual debate about? This leaves us with two particularly prominent examples where the debate is still raging - the apple and the cucumber.
Are we losing anything by peeling cucumbers?
Many people don't peel cucumbers because they are confident that all the nutritional value of the cucumber is in its peel, and well, that's just not true. The cucumber does not have a lot of nutritional value anyway, with or without the peel. It does not have many vitamins or minerals, and it is mainly just water and dietary fiber.
A fresh cucumber does not always stay appealing after a week in the refrigerator, so there is no nutritional problem in peeling and enjoying a peeled cucumber. However, residues, contaminants, and other undesirable things are sometimes found on the peel, and sometimes, it is even preferable to peel it.
So too, with apples
Peeling the apple does reduce some of the dietary fiber we eat, but does not reduce the amount of vitamins, including vitamin C. Vitamins are found inside the apple just like in its peel, and peeling does not decrease the amount of vitamins per 100 grams of apple.
So, for those who prefer to peel, cut, and eat slowly, you can stop feeling guilty—it is not less healthy. It is better to eat a peeled apple than not at all, especially for young children and older people with dental problems.
But the main advantage of leaving the peel on is when preparing in advance. A peeled apple in our fruit and vegetable box will oxidize faster, so if preparing these two items the day before – it's advisable to leave them with the peel.
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