February 6, 2011 11:13 PM
Oranges: peel, don't slice for best nutrition
Take oranges and how we serve them. You can cut them with a knife into eighths and have your kids chomp down on each section, making orange smiley faces and leaving lots behind.
Or you can take the time to peel and section the orange - ultimately teaching them to peel and section their oranges for the rest of their lives - and up the nutritional ante for years to come.
The fact is that the part of the orange most people throw away is loaded with great nutrition. and with food prices going up, we need to get as much as possible from our food sources. Read this to rethink how you serve oranges:
Is Orange Pith Good for You?
Orange pith has nearly the same amount of vitamin-C as the flesh.
When we eat our oranges, we usually peel away the thick layer of skin and remove the bitter white part, also known as pith. But do you know how much healthy content you are throwing away from the tasty oranges?
The white part of the rind, including the pith, has nearly the same amount of vitamin-C as the flesh and contains sources of pectin. Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber with potential to lower serum cholesterol, relief diarrhea, act as an immune system stimulant and as anti-ulcer agent.
The pith, part of the protection layer for the orange, contains high levels of fiber, anti-cancer agents and important bioflavonoids (an antioxidant). So next time when you have an orange, think twice about peeling off those healthy beneficial white piths.
Interesting Facts About Oranges
- Navel oranges are named after their appearances - the bottom part of it looks like a belly-button.
- Orange juice only has 25% of the vitamin-C of the whole orange.
- Orange is the world's third favorite flavor. First and second was chocolate and vanilla.
- Brazil is the largest orange producer in the world.
- Oranges have more fiber content than most fruits and vegetables.
Comments
So, my mom was right?! She always used to tell me to eat that part.
Another thing that I thought of is that letting kids eat cut pieces with the skin on also allows them to lick all over the outer skin which is bound to have quite a layer of chemicals/insecticides on it! Thinking of that always motivates me to peel rather than cut!
Posted by: Sue | February 7, 2011 12:33 AM
