Khaberni - Is it better to peel vegetables and fruits or eat them with their skin? A question often repeated in kitchens, but nutrition experts confirm that the answer is not always the same, because the skin can carry a large part of the nutritional value.
In many cases, the skins of fruits and vegetables contain a high percentage of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and peeling them could lead to a loss of up to 50% of their beneficial elements. However, there are clear exceptions such as pineapples or watermelons, whose skins are hard and almost inedible.
Monica Acha, a nutrition specialist, explains that the decision depends on the type of food. She gives an example of "eggplant," which she advises not to peel before cooking.
Acha says that the purple skin of the eggplant contains compounds known as anthocyanins, which are antioxidants responsible for the dark purple color. She points out that these compounds completely disappear when the fruit is peeled, meaning a loss of an important part of its health benefits. Therefore, she emphasizes that cooking eggplant with its skin provides the body with greater nutritional value.
She adds that the same applies to other vegetables such as zucchini and cucumber. Despite being white inside and green outside, a large percentage of their nutritional elements are concentrated in the skin.
The specialist notes that some people might visually shy away from the green color, as the brain sometimes tends to prefer lighter colors like white, especially when mixed with other appealing colors such as orange in carrots. Nonetheless, the skin remains the richest part in nutrients and fiber.
Among the fruits and vegetables that are also preferably eaten with their skin are: apples, mangoes, pears, peaches, kiwis, oranges, squash, potatoes, and carrots.
Nevertheless, experts advise choosing organic products as much as possible when eating the skin, to minimize exposure to pesticides. It is also advisable to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables with water, and a cleaning brush can be used to achieve more precise cleanliness.
Conversely, according to the experts, there are foods that are advised to be peeled before eating, such as: pineapples, bananas, onions, melons, and watermelons, due to the nature of their tough or inedible skins.
