Don't Toss That Banana Peel! The Secret Ingredient You Didn’t Know You Needed

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As the Malayalam movie 'Vaazha' garners attention on the OTT platform, there is something in those lines that needs your attention as well.

Imagine this. You are peeling a juicy yellow banana that is rich in potassium, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. As you take each bite, the creamy, velvety texture melts in your mouth and the sweetness of the fruit with a hint of tropical flavour turns more satisfying than the last. It's nature's candy, simple yet irresistibly delicious. As you have it in a few quick bites, you leave just the empty peel, which is soon discarded without a second thought.

But do you know that the peel is equally significant to that of a juicy banana? According to sciencealert, you are tossing off a nutritious snack. A recent study shows that banana peels once blanched, dried and ground into flour turns into baked delicacies that taste as good as a banana. Yes, Scientists have proved that the banana peel is pretty good for your health.

Products were taste-tested - Consumers reported cookies with the banana peel had as much flavour and taste as the peel-free sugar cookies.

Proved to be a healthy ingredient - The banana peel in sugar cookies had minerals and cancer-fighting nutrients that had much more fibre, magnesium, potassium and antioxidant compounds.

A good shelf life - Cookies made out of banana peel flour also had high shelf life for about 3 months at room temperature.

Offers a natural colour - A recent study on a banana cake shows the yellow skin of the fruit offers a natural yellow colour and a nutritional boost.

Other than cookies - Not just cookies, you can also consider using banana peel flour in breads, cakes, and pasta.

Other than baking - If baking is not your forte, no worries. A food blogger, Nigella Lawson and many others like her use banana peels in curry, and have popularized dishes like banana peel bacon and pulled peel 'pork'.

Banana peel flour - A study in 2016 suggests that substituting 10 percent of wheat flour with banana peel flour enriches baked bread with higher protein, carbohydrate, and fat contents.

Helps reduce food waste - If you didn't know, about 40 percent of a banana's weight is in its peel, and this nutrition-packed skin is simply thrown away. Using this banana peel as an ingredient eventually results in reducing food waste.

Ok banana peels might not taste good when they are raw, but if they are prepared in the right manner, you get yourself a healthy and tasty snack or meal. As the peels have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, they increase the shelf life of some products. Note one thing, too much of a good thing turns out to be a bad thing. In this case, it does have a con, adding too much of banana peel flour turns cookies brown and hard, probably owing to its extra fibre.

So next time you have a banana, be sure not to throw away that peel. You are missing out on something really tasty and nutritious!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.