Your Kitchen Scraps Are Better Than Supplements
While you’re throwing away thousands of dollars worth of nutrients each year, the supplement industry is laughing all the way to the bank. Worldwide, one in nine people (that’s 795 million) doesn’t have access to enough food, yet one-third of all food produced is wasted or lost every year. But here’s what they don’t want you to know – those “scraps” you toss contain more nutrition than the expensive superfoods filling your shopping cart. The parts we discard often pack more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than the flesh we actually eat. Think of it like throwing away the engine of a car and keeping only the radio – you’re missing all the real power.
Banana Peels Beat Expensive Potassium Pills
Those yellow peels you peel off and toss? They’re nutritional goldmines that put pricey potassium supplements to shame. The outside layer of bananas, pineapples and oranges contain dietary fiber, antioxidants, B-complex vitamins and minerals such as calcium, selenium and zinc that can improve your health. Banana peels have attracted the attention of researchers due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. While a bottle of potassium pills costs $15-20, banana peels are essentially free and contain fiber that synthetic supplements lack. The trick is knowing how to prepare them safely. Cut the peel into chunks and throw them into the blender with your smoothie. If you wait until the peel gets more ripe, it will be more flavorful, softer and easier to blend.
Pineapple Cores Are Digestive Enzyme Powerhouses
That tough center you cut out and discard contains more health benefits than the sweet flesh around it. Pineapple contains a powerful enzyme called bromelain, which is responsible for many of the fruit’s health benefits. The inedible stems are the most concentrated source of bromelain, which can be extracted and is readily available in supplement form. While bromelain supplements cost $20-30 per bottle, pineapple cores give you this powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme for free. Though they can be a little tough and not as sweet as regular pineapple, pineapple cores are the perfect addition to salads. Just dice them really small and toss them in. The core also helps with protein digestion, making it perfect after meals.
Broccoli Stalks Outshine the Florets
Everyone fights over the tree-like tops, but the stalk is where the real nutrition lives. Broccoli florets get most of the love, while the stalks and leaves are cast by the wayside. The group is currently trying to encourage the sourcing and sale of broccoli leaves, which are wasted by the tons because people don’t realize there’s a use for them. Imperfect Produce’s Reilly Brock likens this to being “as wasteful as a raising a cow, slaughtering it, and only using the filet mignon.” Much like collards or kale, broccoli leaves can be roasted, sautéed, used in a stir-fry even blended into smoothies for added nutritional kick. The stalks are basically free broccoli that most people waste – they contain the same vitamins and minerals as the florets but with even more fiber.
Watermelon Rinds Are Citrulline Champions
While you’re eating the sweet red flesh, you’re throwing away the part that could boost your athletic performance better than expensive pre-workout drinks. One of the richest known dietary sources of amino acid citrulline, the white rind of this juicy vegetable contains it in abundance. Citrulline is transformed in our body into the essential amino acid arginine. Watermelon’s byproducts, such as its rind, contain substantial amounts of bioactive and phytochemicals. Watermelon rind is rich in vitamins A, C and also contains B6. Vitamin A supports vision and immune function, while vitamin C boosts collagen production. You can dice watermelon rinds, season and saute them in olive oil for a healthy side dish to your main meal. Chop them with carrots, potatoes and parsnips to make soups and stews extra healthy.
Onion Skins Pack More Antioxidants Than the Onion
That papery outer layer you automatically peel off contains more disease-fighting compounds than the onion itself. Onion skins are rich in various vitamins like E and C, plus an amino acid called tryptophan and the antioxidant quercetin. In fact, onion skins contain even higher levels of quercetin than the flesh and core. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that fights inflammation and may help with allergies – supplements containing it cost $15-25 per bottle. The easiest way to reap the benefits of onion skins is through tea. Onion skins are rich in various vitamins like E and C, plus an amino acid called tryptophan and the antioxidant quercetin. Add onion skins to your green tea as it steeps. According to one study, doing so can help boost the bioavailability of the epicatechins—the main beneficial compounds, like EGCG, in green tea.
Citrus Peels Are Vitamin C Goldmines
While you’re buying expensive vitamin C tablets, you’re literally throwing away better sources in your trash can. Orange, lemon, and lime peels contain higher concentrations of vitamin C than the fruit inside, plus unique compounds like limonene that may have anti-cancer properties. The oils in citrus peels also contain powerful antioxidants that aren’t found in synthetic vitamins. The outside layer of bananas, pineapples and oranges contain dietary fiber, antioxidants, B-complex vitamins and minerals such as calcium, selenium and zinc. You can zest them into recipes, dry them for tea, or blend them into smoothies. Unlike synthetic vitamin C that costs $10-15 per bottle, citrus peels are free and come with additional fiber and compounds that enhance absorption.
Carrot Tops Are Nutrition Superstars
Those leafy greens attached to your carrots aren’t just pretty garnish – they’re more nutritious than the orange roots below. Carrots are broadly celebrated as an antioxidant-rich root veggie, but the orange portion wrongfully gets all the accolades while the leafy tops of carrots are largely and unfortunately ignored. Carrot tops contain six times more vitamin C than the roots, plus significant amounts of calcium, iron, and protein. They taste like a cross between parsley and carrots, making them perfect for pesto, salads, or soup stocks. While bunched herbs cost $2-3 at the store, carrot tops come free with your carrots. You should throw away corn husks, carrot and potato peels, onion skins, celery and asparagus stalks – but this advice is completely wrong when it comes to nutrition!
Eggshells Are Calcium Powerhouses
Before you crack that shell and toss it, consider this: eggshells are 95% calcium carbonate – the same form used in expensive calcium supplements. Eggshells are a really rather fantastic source of calcium, as well as a host of other trace elements such as magnesium. Egg shell consists mainly of minerals (primarily calcium, but also boron, chromium, copper, iron, iodine, manganese, sulphur, selenium, silicon, and zinc). Bird eggshells are also a rich source of phosphorus in the form of calcium phosphates. One eggshell provides about 1000mg of calcium – more than most calcium pills. Before you use eggshells, sterilize them; we don’t want to spread salmonella around. Sterilize on low heat in the oven for a few minutes or in a microwave on high power for at least 10 seconds. Grind them into powder and add small amounts to smoothies or food.
Avocado Pits Contain Hidden Antioxidants
That large seed you scoop out and throw away contains more antioxidants than most of the flesh. Banana peels and avocado peels are a very good source of potassium for your plants – and the same nutritional power applies to the pits. The pit contains compounds called persin and other antioxidants that may help fight inflammation. While you shouldn’t eat them raw, you can dry, grate, and use small amounts in smoothies or teas. I’ve been growing avocado pits. They can become small trees but also make lovely houseplants. Some health enthusiasts dry and powder the pits, using tiny amounts as antioxidant boosters – something that would cost $20-30 in supplement form.
Potato Peels Beat the Flesh for Nutrients
The skin you automatically peel off contains more nutrients than the white potato inside. Potato skins are rich in minerals, especially potassium. In fact, a medium-sized russet potato contains nearly twice the amount of potassium found in a banana. The skins also contain most of the potato’s fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Aside from being where the most vitamins live (in the colored peels), this is the source of fiber that helps maintain blood sugar for several hours after eating. While people spend money on fiber supplements, potato skins provide natural fiber plus minerals for free. Just scrub them well and eat them with the potato – they’re perfectly safe and incredibly nutritious when prepared properly.
Coffee Grounds Are Mineral Treasure Troves
That soggy mess you scrape into the trash contains valuable minerals and antioxidants. They’re a great source of nitrogen, contain some of the other two major plant elements—phosphorus and potassium, and are also a good source of micronutrients like magnesium, copper, calcium, zinc, manganese, and iron. It was found that SCG were rich in C, N, P, and K, making them nutritionally dense. Coffee grounds release nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals as they break down – acting as a great natural slow-release fertilizer. While you shouldn’t eat them directly, you can use small amounts in face masks for exfoliation, or compost them to enrich soil for growing your own nutrient-dense vegetables. Used coffee grounds also retain antioxidants that can benefit skin health when used topically.
Those expensive superfood powders and synthetic vitamins can’t compete with what nature provides for free in your kitchen scraps. Next time you’re about to toss those peels and cores, remember – you might be throwing away more nutrition than what you paid for at the health food store. What would you have guessed contains more vitamin C: an orange or its peel?
