[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After you enjoy a banana, don't toss the peel.
"Banana peels may be more nutritious than people think," says
Amanda Sauceda, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Long Beach, California.
Banana peel benefits to know
Banana peels are packed with minerals, antioxidants and fiber, Sauceda says. She adds that they are especially rich in fiber.
"Fiber is important for good gut health and heart health," she says.
Banana peels contain phosphorus, a micronutrient that benefits your bones. They also provide the body with:
- Vitamin B6, which keeps the immune system and nervous system healthy
- Vitamin B12, which keeps blood and nerve cells healthy, and helps make DNA
People eat banana peels in many parts of the world, and now the trend is catching on in the U.S.
Enjoy banana peel benefits - in cookies!
A recent study found that banana peels can even add a burst of nutrition -- and flavor -- to your
cookies.
“Banana-peel flour added to cookies has been researched to show that it can increase the nutrition of the cookie without sacrificing the flavor,” Sauceda says.
Taste tests prove that adding some banana peel flour to batter used for sugar cookies makes the treats more appealing compared to using whole-wheat flour alone, according to researchers at the American Chemical Society.
Using banana peel flour gives the cookies more
phenols, which have antioxidant properties that help protect the body's cells from damage. Phenols also may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Possible drawbacks to banana peels
While eating banana peels is safe and nutritious, it does come with a few downsides.
Eating raw banana peels is a tall order, as they are extremely fibrous, and most people find the raw peels unpleasant to consume.
Peels are not nearly as sweet as a banana itself, although the riper they are, the sweeter they are likely to taste.
In addition, suddenly adding banana peels into your diet in large quantities might be tough on your gut.
“Adding fiber too quickly, especially if you’re not hydrating, can cause some stomach upset, and banana peels have a lot of fiber,” Sauceda says.
Sauceda also recommends
rinsing peels prior to eating them, just as you would with any fruit or vegetable. Doing so can help remove pesticides that might have been applied to the banana when it was growing in the grove.
If you prefer, you can purchase organic bananas, as the peels may have less exposure to pesticides.
Getting more banana peels into your diet
There are many ways to gradually add banana peels into your diet.
Sauceda recommends using a
dehydrator to make banana peels more appealing. “This seems to be the best option for taste and texture,” she says.
Once peels are dried, you can add them to the flour you use. “Play around with using it in baked goods like cookies or muffins,” Sauceda says.
Other ways that people have been known to
consume banana peels include:
- Substituting them for pork as part of "pulled peel" sandwiches
- Frying them up as banana-peel “bacon”
- Adding bits of banana peel to smoothies
- Using banana peels to create a Bolognese sauce
The key to getting the most out of eating banana peels is to do so gradually. As you add banana peels into your diet, drink plenty of water, which can help move the fiber through your system.
Sauceda also urges you not to get carried away with adding banana peels to all your baked goods.
“Don’t feel pressured to add banana peels to your baked items just to make them healthy,” Sauceda says. “Sometimes a cookie just has to be a cookie.”
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