Turn Your Kitchen Scraps into a Fibre Power‑Boost
UK researchers say fruit and veg skins, cores and seeds could help close the fibre gap for most adults.
Exciting news for anyone looking to up their fibre intake without buying extra products!
UK researchers have identified fruit and vegetable scraps—peels, stalks, cores and seeds—as an overlooked source of dietary fibre.
Official data show that a mere 4% of adults achieve the recommended 30 g of fibre each day, despite fibre’s well‑known benefits for gut health, satiety and reduced risk of heart disease and bowel cancer.
The scientists at King's College London analysed twelve raw or uncooked foods: beetroot, bell pepper, broccoli, butternut squash, cauliflower, celeriac, curly kale, fennel, kiwi fruit, leek, pineapple and watermelon.
Their findings revealed that many parts typically thrown away actually pack more fibre than the sections most people eat.
Watermelon rind delivered 2.10 g of fibre per 100 g, roughly the fibre content of a slice of wholemeal bread.
Butternut squash skin and seeds provided 9.25 g per 100 g, nearly matching the fibre in a bowl of bran flakes.
Pineapple skin and core contained five times more fibre than the flesh.
Broccoli stalks held fibre, though slightly less than the florets.
Eating a kiwi with its skin on supplies about 50% more fibre than a peeled kiwi.
Project lead Dr Rachel Gibson said the results suggest that people are discarding a significant amount of fibre each day.
Try “root‑to‑tip” eating and turn those peels, cores and seeds into a simple, natural fibre boost.
