Gaby
Banana peels are more useful than you might think.
A team from the University of Houston (USA) and Aligarh Muslim University (India) has demonstrated that by blanching, drying, and grinding banana peels into flour, you can create delicious baked goods. These treats can be just as tasty, if not better, than those made with wheat flour.
If you’re not a devoted reader of vegan blogs or a fan of renowned chef Nigella Lawson, you might not have considered cooking with banana peels. However, it’s not only safe — it can also be delicious and nutritious.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The team found that baked goods made with banana peels can provide a generous serving of minerals and cancer-fighting nutrients. The sugar cookies made for the study contained significantly more fiber, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidant compounds.
The fiber from banana peels helps improve digestion and supports beneficial gut bacteria. When participants in the experiment evaluated the baked goods made with this ingredient, they were just as satisfied with the taste as they were with cookies made without banana peels.
On the flip side, adding too much banana peel flour produced cookies that were browner and harder—likely because of the extra fiber. When cookies used flour containing 7.5 percent banana peel, the texture struck a much better balance.
The team also found that products made with this ingredient can be stored at room temperature for three months. They found that incorporating banana peels can benefit not only baked goods (cookies, pastries, cakes, and bread) but also pasta.
What Other Studies Found
Another group studying banana peel pie found that the peel acted as a natural dye that gave the pie an attractive color. The ingredient also boosted the nutritional value of the product.
A 2016 study showed that replacing up to 10 percent of wheat flour with banana peel flour increases the protein, carbohydrate, and fat content of baked bread.
Not a fan of baked goods? Try other options. Nigella Lawson has used banana peels in curry. Vegan bloggers have recently popularized banana peel “bacon,” according to Science Alert.
Eating the peel of this fruit is not just beneficial — it also helps reduce food waste. About 40 percent of a banana’s weight comes from the peel, which is often discarded.
Of course, eating banana peels raw is unlikely to appeal to most people. But when prepared correctly, they can enhance the flavor of dishes. The peel can also extend the shelf life of certain foods because of its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The same applies to other fruit peels, such as mangoes, which have been found to boost cakes’ antioxidant levels and improve taste.
So, the next time you peel a banana for its flesh, consider saving the peel. Your stomach will thank you later.
The results of the study were published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology.
