Don’t Let Nutritious Food Go to Waste: How to Use Every Part of a Vegetable

December 4, 2022

by Cathe Friedrich

When you’re trying to eat as healthily as possible, a smart step you can take is to add more vegetables to your plate. But are you getting the full benefits of the vegetables you eat or tossing out some of the “good stuff?” It’s better for your health (and your pocketbook) to squeeze the nutritional benefits out of every bite of the vegetables you eat. Sadly, Americans waste around 40% of the food they put in their shopping carts, and that’s not good for the pocketbook, the environment, or health.

What you might not realize is that you can eat all parts of a vegetable—from stalks to skins to leaves and everything in between—to ensure no part goes uneaten. In fact, some parts of vegetables that people rarely eat are as nutritious or more so than the parts that do. For example, the stalks of broccoli contain more fiber than the more popular florets. Let’s look at some ways to use each part of a vegetable.

Stems

Don’t toss the stems and stalks, They contain even more fiber than other parts of the plant. The stems of broccoli, celery, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and beets are all edible and can be just as tasty as the rest of the veggies. Plus, they’re often as or more nutritious than other parts of the plant.How can you use the stems of vegetables?
Save the stems from onions, carrots, and celery, and add them when you’re making stock or soup.
Steam or boil them on their own with garlic or other herbs for a flavorful side dish
Make pickles from them. Cut cauliflower or broccoli stems into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put them in a bowl, and sprinkle them with salt. Cover with vinegar, and let them sit for about 1 hour, before rinsing thoroughly and storing in jars.
Make pesto sauce with the stems by blending them with basil leaves, nuts, and olive oil.
Add raw stems to salads or sautéed dishes for an extra crunchy texture.
Chop the stems into bite-sized pieces and add them to stir-fries or soups at the last minute of cooking to preserve their crunchiness.
Add stems and leaves to green smoothies for more nutrients and fiber, without changing the flavor. Just throw in about a handful of stems per glass, and you’ll get a ton of benefits without anyone knowing they’re there!

Leaves

Leaves are the part of the vegetable left behind after picking and eating the rest. For some vegetables, it’s common for people to discard the leaves, but there are ways to use them to add flavor and texture to your meals.

Many vegetables have tasty leaves that are edible and nutritious. Examples include collard greens, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard and rapini (broccoli rabe). You can sauté or steam them or eat them raw in salads.

You can also add leafy greens to salads, or include them in stir-fries, soups, and stews. Don’t forget about the green, leafy tops of carrots. Add them to a salad or sauté them in olive oil for a side dish.

Be aware that not all leaves are edible. For example, avocadoes are a delicious and nutritious fruit but some, but not all, avocado leaves are toxic. So, always research before eating a component of a fruit or vegetable that people don’t commonly eat. The leaves of rhubarb are high in oxalates, compounds that increase the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Rhubarb leaves are so high in oxalates that they can cause illness. So, never eat leaves from a rhubarb plant.

Other ideas for vegetable leaves:

Add cauliflower leaves to a salad or sauté them with other greens.
Use broccoli leaves as a wrap for sandwiches or sushi. Kale and cabbage leaves work well too.
Chop up carrot tops and add them to soup or stew for extra flavor.

To prepare leafy greens for cooking, wash them thoroughly under running water. Slice off the tough stems from leafy greens before cooking them but save the stems and use them for other applications. If you’re using a salad spinner to dry your leaves, be sure to spin them until they’re completely dry (otherwise they’ll wilt when you cook them).

Skins

You may have heard that the skin on vegetables is not edible, but that’s not true! You can eat carrot, beet, potato, and sweet potato skins, and they’re packed with fiber. In fact, they contain more fiber than the fleshier insides. Just wash and scrub your veggies well before eating, because dirt can get stuck in those little crevices on carrots or beets.

Expand your horizons and eat the skins too. Munching on just the flesh of a carrot would be like eating only one side of a sandwich—you need all parts to make up a complete meal! Along with being more fiber rich, the skins of vegetables may contain more vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Be aware that the skins can be more bitter though. One way to compensate is to prepare a tasty sauce.

Conclusion

The next time you’re about to toss out those vegetable scraps, think again! Don’t be afraid to get creative in the kitchen. If you’re not sure what to do with that extra zucchini, try pickling it! Or if you have leftover herbs, you can always make a pesto or chimichi. With a little extra work, you can waste less and get more veggie goodness.

Eating all parts of a vegetable is a fantastic way to cut down on food waste and can help you get the most out of your groceries. Plus, this method is an effortless way to eat healthy since vegetables are packed with nutrients. Plus, less food waste is better for the environment. If you eat the skins of vegetables, buy organic whenever possible, and wash all produce thoroughly to remove trace of pesticides. Also, eat more fresh produce! It’s good for you.

Short Summary:

Vegetables are one of the healthiest foods you can put on your plate and most people don’t eat enough of them. But you can get even more nutritional goodness out of the veggies you eat by eating all their parts. This article looks at how to do that.