We are told daily to “eat more fruits and vegetables” for better overall health, however making a salad or a large tray of roast veggies can be very time consuming, especially the washing and peeling preparation. But what if I said that you can save yourself some time and also score more nutrients by NOT peeling certain fruit or veggies? Here are a list of vegetables that are more beneficial to our health when we eat it whole – yep skin and all!!

1. potatoes; traditionally we are used to peeling potatoes for chips, salads and the classic mash. Wrong! 20% of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals in a potato is found in the skin and it is full of fiber. Forget the peeler just give it a good old scrub under the tap!

2. eggplant; The skin of this plump, meaty favourite contains a phytonutrient called nasunin, a potent antioxidant that helps counter cell damage brought on by aging or disease

3. sweet potato; like potatoes, the skin of the sweet variety contains so much vitamin C, potassium and betacarotene that you would simply be wasting by tossing out.

4. cucumber; I personally love cucumber skin and rarely peel it which is great because the peel is loaded with immune-boosting antioxidants and fiber. And we all know fiber keeps the digestive track flowing smoothly.

5. carrot; A simple rinse in all you need to prep a carrot especially if they are organic, there is no need to remove the antioxidant dense skin.

6. parsnips; these are another carrot like vegetable that contains a lot of nutrients in the skin – so keep it on when you cook it!

7. apples; Many people remove the skin because it can be tough to digest, but that just means it’s rich in fiber, which fills you up and aids digestion. Apples are more crunchy with the skin on (which is the best part right?) and it is rich in vitamin C and triterpenoids which are cancer fighters! Eat the core too – I dare you!!

8. Bananas; JUST KIDDING!!! keep peeling those yellow bad boys – the skin isn’t for the keeping!

Happy hump day

K