Scientists confirm fruit and vegetable skin really is good for you — SkimNews
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- Rachel Gibson and colleagues at King’s College London tested 12 fruits and vegetables, including kiwi, watermelon, broccoli and bell pepper; in 10 cases, the parts usually discarded contained more fibre than the commonly eaten portions.
- Butternut squash seeds and skin contained 9.25 grams of fibre per 100 grams, compared with 2 grams per 100 grams of squash flesh.
- Pineapple skin and core contained 450 per cent more fibre than the flesh, though researchers said blending, grating or roasting can make the tough components more palatable.
- British adults had a large fibre gap: just 4 per cent met the recommended daily minimum of 30 grams, while the average adult consumed around half that amount.
- King’s College London piloted a “root to tip” canteen menu in May 2025, featuring a West African peanut stew made with whole butternut squash, kale stalks and leek tops and a watermelon salad with pickled rind.
- Christian Reynolds at City St George’s University of London called the research exciting but said reducing fruit-and-vegetable waste is only part of the solution because meat and dairy account for the most carbon-intensive food waste.
Why it matters: For households and caterers, the findings turn squash peel, watermelon rind and pepper stalks into additional fibre sources; only 4% of British adults meet the 30 g daily minimum. The research also links whole-vegetable use to less food waste and lower costs for commercial kitchens, while meat and dairy remain the most carbon-intensive waste priorities.
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