Zero-waste cooking has been a part of gastronomy since years. It has come to our attention only recently, during the months-long lockdown in 2020 and 2021. Today, we believe in optimal usage of every food ingredient, enjoying the benefits to the fullest. One such versatile food ingredient is banana. From its leaf to the flower, every part of the banana tree is used for cooking. But, have you ever tried eating banana peels? You heard us. A new study has found that banana peels can now be included in our daily diet, that too in the most delicious way possible. The findings were published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology.
Also Read: Not Just The Fruit, You Can Use Every Part Of Banana Plant To Make Delish Food
How To Eat Banana Peels:
Banana peels generally find their place in our trash bins or are used as compost for gardening. But, a group of researchers recently found that these peels can now replace pork in ‘pulled pork’ sandwiches. You can also fry the peels and turn them into vegan ‘bacons’.
That’s not all. You can turn the peel into flour and add to sugar cookie batter to make the cookies yet healthier. It was found that “cookies enriched with some banana peel flours were more satisfying than those baked with wheat flour alone”.
To make banana peel flour, the researchers peeled ripe, undamaged bananas and then blanched, dried and ground the skins into fine powder. They then mixed the flour with butter, skimmed milk powder, powdered sugar, vegetable oil and wheat flour; and finally baked batches of sugar cookies.
Why To Include Banana Peels In Diet:
The scientists found that the peels, when ground into flour, became nutrient-enriched. The significant nutrients included in banana peel flour are fibre, magnesium, potassium, antioxidants and more.
According to a report published on the official website of American Chemical Society, researchers found that “increasing the amount of the banana peel flour from 0 to 15% in the batches produced browner and harder products, which could be a result of the increased fiber content from the peels”. In addition, cookies made with banana peel flour were healthier, having less fat and protein, higher amounts of phenols and better antioxidant activities than the conventional ones.
Would you want to try one of these banana peel cookies? Do let us know in the comments below.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.
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