Banan A-Peel

Plant compounds support health

Plant forward and vegan diets continue to push the envelope when it comes to meat alternatives.  Today meat substitutes go far beyond your average brick of tofu.  Instead a quick Google search will retrieve recipes for sandwiches made with tempeh (fermented soybeans), smoothies made with pea protein and chili beefed up with textured vegetable protein (TVP).  Not to mention the meaty-textured alternatives including mushroom meatloaf, stewed jackfruit, even banana peels that resemble barbeque!

Does this kind of eating favor health?  One study published in The Journal of Nutrition, showed that vegans had higher biomarkers that prevent disease when compared to their lacto-ovo, pesco or semi vegetarian counterparts.  In reviewing labs of over 800 men and women, vegetarians had notably elevated levels but vegans were even higher.  Results suggest that vegans, as a result of their plant based diet, have the highest amounts of disease fighting compounds. 

While using the fibrous outer skin of the banana may be a stretch for some, Dole actually had them analyzed to see just what they were made of. The lab found that peels had twice as much fiber, three times as much vitamin A and significantly more calcium when compared to the soft fruit, reinforcing that eating the protective skins of fruits and vegetables can pay off in a big way.  Kudos to those pioneers who have expanded the limits of a healthful plant based diet.  They are adventurers who’ve experimented with ingredients and considered new ways to include them – that may be otherwise overlooked. 

Our Dole Banana Peel Carne Machada Recipe will make you look at banana peels in a whole new way!

Remember:  Biomarkers include plant compounds such as carotenoids that support eye health and flavonoids which have anti-inflammatory properties! 

Published July 1, 2019