Eating Banana Skins Can Make You Healthier

It's that time of year when many of us throw our diets out the window, but just in case you're still trying to eat healthy an Australian dietitian is recommending that we eat banana skins.

Yup, you read that right, banana SKINS. The health benefits of fresh fruits has been known for a long time and bananas are very popular among my fitness minded friends, but this is the first I've heard about eating the skins.

According to dietitian Susie Burrell, the skins of bananas are packed with dietary fiber, vitamins C and B6, along with potassium and magnesium. The color of the skin makes a difference, too. Susie says that the green skins contain the amino acid tryptophan and can help you get a better night's sleep, while the brighter yellow skins have more antioxidants and cancer fighting effects. As an added bonus, when they've gotten a little bit over-ripe and start turning brown the bananas are perfect for your banana nut bread recipe. Ask your grandmother, she'll confirm that.

Susie also notes that the idea of chowing down on a raw banana peel isn't all that appetizing to most of us and recommends mixing it into a smoothie or some other sort of baked good.