Should You Be Eating Your Banana Peels? Yes, Totally. Here's How!

While we're all discussing flexitarian hacks, food waste reduction and mindful eating in general, let's consider the banana peel. Formerly nothing more than a comedy prop, a sorry excuse for a hallucinogen or that thing you smell in your coworker's trash can, banana peels are not only edible, they're nutrient-dense and packed with fiber. As in, skip the pill, swallow the peel. Well, chew the peel and then swallow it, which can be made vastly easier and more pleasant by a 15-minute roast in a 400-degree oven. What you end up with tastes like the easiest banana bread you've ever made, minus the added sugar and refined carbs. That said, feel free to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The heat breaks down the fiber and mellows the bitter flavor, resulting in pure, sweet, all-natural vitamins B and C, potassium and magnesium. One medium banana will provide about 15 to 20 percent of your daily recommended intake of each, but consuming the peel as well gives you a big boost.

Check out this Business Insider video for a visual guide that may help convince you not to toss those peels, and next time they're reduced to a punch line, pat yourself on the back for knowing better.