Fruit and Veg | The Best Parts You're Not Eating

We all know how important it is to get your daily recommended serving of fruit and veg. Anywhere from one and a half two two cups of fruit daily and two to three cups of vegetables each day. With essential vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, fruits and vegetables can benefit your mind and body in immense ways.

But it turns out, it may be easier to reach our recommended servings if we didn't throw out many of the beneficial parts of our favorite fruit and veg.

Before you toss out anymore seeds, stems and skin, you should know that these pieces are in fact full of some big-time health benefits.

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Some Big-Time Health Benefits of Fruit and Veg

• Apple Peel

The skin of an apple is full of an antioxidant called quercetin, which provides benefits to the lungs and the brain. Not to mention that apple peel also packs more fiber and vitamins than the flesh of the fruit!

• Swiss Chard Stems

Chop and cook these stems right along with the leaves! A recent study revealed that Swiss chard stems have a substantial amount of glutamine, an amino acid that plays an essential role in the body's healing and repairing processes.

• Orange Peel

Grate or zest this rind to add some flavor to your favorite dishes! According to a 2004 study, a chemical in the peel of oranges and other citrus fruits may have a cholesterol-lowering effect believed to be stronger than that of some prescriptions drugs. The compounds, polymethoxylated flavones, may also account for citrus fruits' protective powers against heart disease and inflammation, according to the study.

• Turnip Greens

Similar to beet greens, turnips greens are high in vitamins A and K, as well as a very good source of fiber, iron, potassium and more.

• Potato Skin

It turns out that the skin of your potato provides far more fiber than the flesh. It also contains a host of B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium and potassium, among other nutrients, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• Pumpkin Seeds

About half a cup of these seeds contains more than your daily recommended intake of magnesium, helping prevent heart problems, osteoporosis and headaches.

• Pepitas

Are also rich in iron and protein, as well as certain plant-based compounds called phytosterols, which have been shown to reduce "bad" cholesterol.

Globally, we waste about 25 to 33 percent of our fruit and veg. With these small changes, not only can we benefit our health, but we can help reduce waste as well!