As living standards improve, people's focus on food has shifted almost entirely from satisfying hunger to its taste. It has to be said that on issues like fruit and vegetable peels, people's opinions are quite divided. From time to time, you can still see some shocking headlines online like "Shocking! These peels are inedible." The general public doesn't even know if it's true, or perhaps no one does. Some fruit and vegetable peels are medicinal in nature, and their nutritional value is no lower than the flesh.
Some people peel their apples, while others prefer to eat them with the skin. To each their own, but then again, you haven't seen a true "onlooker." Some parts of fruit and vegetable peels contain more nutrients than the flesh itself, and they also have higher dietary fiber. For example, eggplant, apples, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, and winter melon. Additionally, some peels contain large amounts of polyphenols, which have excellent antioxidant effects. They not only protect the fruit from oxidation but also provide us with good antioxidant protection, such as blueberries, grapes, tomatoes, and apples. Here are some recommended ways to eat fruit and vegetable peels.
Fruit and Vegetable Peels Recommended for Eating
1. Apple Peel
Apple peel is rich in pectin and dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility. It also contains polyphenols, which have excellent antioxidant effects. The best way to eat it is very simple: just wash it and eat it directly.
2. Pear Peel
Pear peel itself is a good traditional Chinese medicine that can clear the heart and moisten the lungs. The best way to consume it is to wash it and add it directly to soups, or to boil pear soup with the skin on. When steaming pears with rock sugar, do not peel them!
3. Eggplant Peel
Eggplant peel is rich in vitamin P and is good for cardiovascular health. Therefore, the best way to cook it is with the skin on. (If you peel it, there's barely anything left, okay?)
Fruit and Vegetable Peels Not Recommended for Eating
1. Potato Peel
We all know that sprouted potatoes are inedible, but you might not know about the peels. Potato peels contain "solanine." If consumed in excess, toxins can accumulate in the body and cause poisoning. So, be sure to peel potatoes when cooking!
2. Persimmon Peel
Persimmon Peel: When persimmons are unripe, tannic acid is present in the flesh. After ripening, the tannic acid concentrates in the peel. When tannic acid enters the human body, it reacts with proteins in food under the action of stomach acid to form a precipitate—bezoar—which can cause various diseases.
3. Sweet Potato Peel
Sweet potato peels contain a lot of alkali, and eating too much can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Sweet potatoes with brown and black-brown spots on their skin are often infected with "black spot bacteria," which can produce "ipomeamarone" and "ipomeamarol." These substances can damage the liver and cause poisoning when ingested. In mild cases of poisoning, symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, it can lead to high fever, headache, shortness of breath, convulsions, vomiting blood, coma, and even death.
4. Ginkgo Peel
Ginkgo Peel: The shell contains toxic substances such as "ginkgolic acid," "ginkgolic acid," "ginkgolic acid," and "ginkgol." When ingested, these substances can damage the central nervous system. Moreover, the ginkgo nut itself should not be eaten in large quantities.
In summary, fruit and vegetable peels have both good and bad aspects; the key is knowing how to distinguish them. Furthermore, fruit and vegetable peels must be thoroughly cleaned before consumption because fruits and vegetables are inevitably exposed to fertilizers and pesticides during cultivation. (Wouldn't it be disgusting if you ate unwashed produce that had been treated with manure?)