Would you feel weird to eat the peel of an orange?

I don’t know about you, but I would have thought people would consider me weird to peel an orange and then eat any of the peel.

It turns out the peel has most of the fruit’s vitamin C, nearly all of its fiber, a decent amount of calcium, and almost no calories. It’s healthy and comes free with the orange. Look at the numbers:

If you think it’s crazy to eat orange peels, consider these gourmet candied orange peels. Don’t they look delicious?

And how about these candied lemon peels? Don’t they look delicious too?

They look delicious, only they’re covered in sugar.

What this post is about

If you’re like I was, you avoided eating orange peels not for the flavor but for social reasons—what others would think of you.

But the gourmet candies show that in other contexts people value eating peels.Eat

Here’s my important question:

Why don’t you eat something healthy for social reasons, when you would eat the same thing when covered with sugar?

Most people say something about the rind’s bitterness here. Well, orange peels come with a source of sweetness: the inside of the orange! You don’t have to add sugar. It’s already there.

I think most people, including myself before, didn’t eat peels out of shame (of what others would think of them) or ignorance (of their nutrition).

I want shame and ignorance out of my life, not in it. So that means eating orange peels. If you think I’m crazy or weird, go ahead. I’m enjoying nature.

If you want less bitterness, only eat some of the peel with the rest of the fruit. If you’re worried about pesticides, wash them more.

Just now that you know, I recommend no longer acting out of shame or ignorance. However small an act, I predict it will help you overcome other unhealthy inhibitions elsewhere in your life.

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