When it comes to eating fruit and vegetables it is quite common to have certain parts of the plant leftover afterwards. Whether the stem, seeds or the skin, some parts are just not as appetising as others.
While the only real issue with throwing away parts of a fruit or vegetable is the potential food waste, one expert revealed another reason you should try to utilise every part of them.
NHS surgeon and popular social media personality Dr Karan Rajan, best known as Dr Raj, urged people to consider eating some unusual parts of fruit and vegetables.
This is for their health benefits, with certain parts packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Speaking to his more than five million followers on video streaming platform TikTok, he urged people to eat every part of the strawberry.
This includes the leaves. Dr Raj said: “If you’re eating strawberries, eat the leaves as well.
“The strawberry top with the leaves is known as a calyx and it has a nutritional value on par with the berry itself.
“The leaves are packed with polyphenols which are antioxidants and the leaves contain almost as much vitamin C as the berry.
“And not to mention the tops contain other nutrients like magnesium and an extra bit of fibre too.”
He then recommended eating not just the florets of broccoli, but the stem too.
He continued: “The next time you’re eating broccoli, consider eating the stem as well as the floret.
“Whilst the floret may boast high levels of vitamin A, the stem contains just as many other nutrients.
“Things like vitamin C, E, K, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, zinc.
“And not to mention more insoluble fibres to contribute to your daily fibre intake.”
Radish leaves are also high in essential vitamins, he said.
Dr Raj explained: “If you’ve got radish and you’re not eating the leaves, you’re missing half the plant.
“The leaves of the radish plant are packed with both vitamin C and vitamin A.
“In fact just 100 grams of the leaves can offer almost a quarter of your vitamin C intake for the day.”
Finally he advised eating apple cores. He added: “If you’re eating an apple, make sure you eat the apple core as well.
“Most of the good gut bacteria or beneficial probiotics which are found in the apple and which are good for your gut health are actually found in the apple core, rather than the flesh or the skin of the fruit.
“Eating the apple core also increases your intake of prebiotic fibres and reduces food waste.”
However, it is important to note that apple seeds contain a small amount of a chemical that produces cyanide, which is highly toxic to humans.
While a few seeds won’t cause much damage, eating them in large quantities could make you sick, so consider picking them out of the core.
