Should I peel fruits and vegetables before eating?

Answer:

Some people have the habit of removing fruits and vegetables peel to be less exposed to pesticides. However, peel is in fact one of the most nutritious parts in fruits and vegetables.

For example, an unpeeled apple has 332% more vitamin K, 142% more vitamin A, 115% more vitamin C, 20% more calcium, and 19% more potassium compared to a peeled one.

A boiled unpeeled potato has 175% more vitamin C, 115% potassium, and 110% more magnesium and phosphorus than a peeled one.

In addition, the amount of antioxidants in fruit peel is 328 times higher than that in fruit flesh.

Peel is in fact one of the most nutritious parts in fruits and vegetables. Photo illustration by Freepik

However, not all fruit and vegetable peels are consumable. For instance, avocado peel is impossible to eat regardless of whether it is cooked or not. The peels of melons, pineapples, onions and celery are also unpleasant to chew and digest. Citrus fruits, like grapefruits, lemons, and oranges, also have tough and bitter peels which are unpleasant to eat.

Also, it is undeniable that removing peels is the best way to avoid consuming pesticides in fruits and vegetables, since simply washing them can only remove the pesticides on their surfaces.

So you can choose to peel 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, kiwi, mushrooms, green beans, and potatoes are edible.

Nutritionist Pham Hong Ngoc

Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine