Don't Throw Them Away Just Yet: What to Do With Vegetable Peels

How to eat an orange? Take one orange out of the fridge, put it on a plate, peel the skin and enjoy the juicy and luscious part. Then, throw away the…no, stop right there! Don’t throw away those peels just yet. It’s a mistake. You will be stunned to know the many ways in which you can utilize these peels and almost regret doing what you’ve been doing for ages. So, let’s get started.1. Potato
 ^{Potato peels can be used in a soup. Photo Credits: IStock}After wheat, rice and corn, potato is the most widely used ingredients all across the world. However, the lesser known fact about potatoes is that the skin is just as nutritious as the flesh. All food items can be cooked with the potato skin on. But if you still must do away with the skin, here are some ways how you can ‘not waste the so-called waste’.
1. Soup it up – Saving potato peels for a tasty soup recipe will make the soup creamier and tastier.2. Clean that silverware – These peels can be used for scrubbing and polishing. The moist underside can be used to scrub tarnished pots and pans. It is known to magically dissolve rust too. Go ahead and try for yourself if you don’t believe us.3. Potato water – Did you know about the healing qualities of potato? It can be used to clear blackheads, dark spots, dark circles, puffy eyes and wrinkles. Just apply potato water on the affected areas and see the difference. To make potato water, boil the peels in water and cool.2. Cucumber
 ^{Cucumber peels can keep ants away. Photo Credits: IStock}Cucumber is one of best things to have during summers. It has a tendency to calm you through its cooling qualities. Cucumber peels can also be used for similar purposes.1. Cucumber water – This is a great drink to refresh yourself in this pricking heat. To make this, you don’t need the entire cucumber. Just put water and peels in an infuser and you’re good to go.2. No more puffy eyes – Refrigerate the peels and use them after coming back home from a long day of work to soothe your eyes.They can also be used as a facial cleanser. Puree the peels and apply them on your face for 15 minutes and you will be left feeling refreshed.3. Another surprising use of cucumber peels is that they help keeping the ants away. The alkaloid in cucumbers acts as a natural repellent. Rubbing the moist underside on walls and floors works beautifully.3. Apples
 ^{Apple peels can help in cleaning aluminium. Photo Credits: IStock}An Apple a day keeps the doctor away, but the peels can also be used in many ways. Apple peels pack a huge amount of fiber perhaps more than the flesh!1. Apple jelly – Apple peels make for a delicious jelly. 2. Smoothie – Apple peels can be added to a smoothie for better flavor.3. Oatmeal – Adding blended apple peels to the boring oatmeal recipe along with raisins and cinnamon is not a bad idea.4. Cleaning aluminum – Apart from the above, apple peels can also help with cleaning aluminum pots and pans. Put the peels in the pot along with water and simmer for 30 minutes in order to get results.4. Banana
 ^{Banana peels are great remedies for acne. Photo Credits: IStock}A banana is a complete meal in itself and you never regret having it but after knowing what you’ve been throwing away, you’re going to regret that action. Know what you don’t know.1. Shine the shoes – Banana peels make for a perfect shoe polish. Rub them on the surface and clean with a cloth later. 2. The perfect smile – Nobody wants their teeth to look unclean in pictures. Banana peels  also work as great teeth whiteners. The manganese, magnesium and potassium helps to whiten your teeth enamel. Rub the peel on your teeth to get a perfect smile.3. Soothes itching – Banana peels won’t help you get rid of the oil that is causing the itching but they soothe the skin when there is a bug bite.4. Acne and dry skin cure – Rub the peel over the affected areas to get cleaner and healthier skin.5. Watermelon
 ^{Watermelon peels act as great facial cleansers. Photo Credits: IStock}A watermelon is a melon with 98% water.  It goes without saying that a watermelon offers excellent health benefits. So does the watermelon rind.1. Watermelon juice – You can make this by adding water, two slices of watermelon rinds and mint leaves for better taste. Having watermelon rind juice carries a lot of benefits. It’s a natural energizer. The arginine in watermelon also helps in preventing the formation of fat. It improves circulation and also offers a peaceful sleep. A human’s brain needs stable serotonin levels so it can go to sleep. However, the day-to-day stress we experience prevents this from happening. Watermelon rind helps release this substance thereby improving sleep quality.2. Delays aging – It works as an antioxidant. Applying the rind directly over your face might just help you cheat age, or at least the people around you.3. Facial cleanser – The easiest way to make this work is to massage the rinds over your face. You can also pair it up with honey since honey has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties.6. Oranges
 ^{Orange peels can be great mosquito repellents. Photo Credits: IStock}And finally, how to eat oranges? Never throw away the peel. No more regrets, right? Here we go.1. Facial cleanser – Orange peels help is curing blackheads, dead cells, acne, pores, blemishes, dark circles, dry skin, and brighten the skin. Pair it up with curd or milk for glowing skin.2. Healthy hair – Orange peels help in getting rid of dandruff. Add blended orange peel to water, apply it on your hair and leave overnight.3. Mosquito repellent – Apply orange peel on your body before going outside to keep the mosquitoes away from you. It works like magic.4. Mouth fresher – Bad breath? Chew an orange peel. It works better than a gum offering health benefits alongside.These are the alternative uses of peels of fruits and vegetables that people usually throw away as waste. Another way of utilizing these peels is consuming them. Yes, all these peels are edible and all of them offer excellent health benefits. However, it can be hard to consume them since they don’t taste as good. Therefore, this is how you can avoid wasting these useful resources.
 

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