Don't Toss Out Apple Peels; Add Them To Your Next Smoothie Instead

We've entered the "ber" months — September, October, November, and December — arguably the best few months of the year to bring new ingredients into the kitchen and try new recipes. When you hit up your local farmer's market or grocery store on the weekend, it's time to start picking up those delicious fruits and veggies in peak season, such as squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and of course, apples. Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith — the flavor is up to you, but pretty soon you'll start seeing more and more creative ways to use up those two dozen apples that you accidentally picked at the orchard (sorry to your bank account, and your fruit drawer). The next time your recipe calls for peeled apples, or your picky toddler won't eat the slices while the skin is still attached, don't throw away those apple peels; save them for your next smoothie instead.

While adding apples to your smoothie is far from a revolutionary idea, you may not have remembered that the apple peels you're tossing down the garbage disposal are just as edible on the apple as they are off it. In fact, apple peels contain a large amount of the fiber that comes from eating an apple. You can find about 4.4 grams of total fiber in a medium-sized apple peel alone.

Apples in general are an extremely hydrating, fiber-rich fruit. They contain a boatload of important vitamins and minerals, but it's the apple peels themselves that hold about 72% of the apple's vitamin E and vitamin K content. Fiber-wise, apple peels provide both soluble and insoluble fibers, which helps with digestion and can lower your cholesterol levels. Apple peels are also notorious for their high levels of antioxidants such as quercetin, which reduces inflammation and helps reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Worried that the peels might make your smoothie taste weird? Don't be. Adding apple peels to your smoothie alongside other fruits and vegetables like bananas, strawberries, and leafy greens can bring a layer of unexpected sweetness to your early-morning blender brainchild. If you're not ready to pop those peels into the blender quite yet, you can toss them into a resealable bag and stick them in the freezer until you're in the mood for that Fall-flavored, antioxidant-packed smoothie boost.