When to eat the peel

If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but always peel them first, you may be missing out on a source of fibre and other nutrients. Not only are most fruit and vegetable peels good for you, their bright colours add pizzazz to your meal.

The next time a recipe tells you to peel your fruits and vegetables, take Diana Mirkin's (drmirkin.com) "rule of thumb" test. If you can easily pierce the peel with your thumbnail then you can eat it. This test rules out winter squash, banana, and orange peels, but includes tomato, eggplant, and carrot peels. Make sure the peel is thoroughly washed before you eat it, though.