Nadiya Hussain's Go-To Dish To Use Up Leftover Banana Peels

Bananas are a fan favorite. Without these beauties, we wouldn't have homemade banana bread, classic banana pudding, or Hummingbird cake. And they're pretty essential to our diet whether you enjoy them in baked goods or just for snacking. In fact, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it's estimated that over 100 billion bananas are eaten around the world each year. Unfortunately, those yellow peels cannot be recycled, and you should refrain from the temptation of putting them down the garbage disposal.

If you think a lot of waste is generated by bananas, you aren't wrong. Forbes estimates around 3.5 million tons of banana peel waste is created on an annual basis based on our consumption of this fruit. But the outlet says it doesn't have to be that way. Banana peels are actually edible, and if you are searching for the best uses for leftover peels and how to prepare this protein and fiber-rich part of the fruit, you may want to check out British Chef Nadiya Hussain's go-to dish.

According to the New York Times, during the 2020 COVID lockdown, Nadiya Hussain was booked on a segment of "Good Morning Britain" where she shared the mind-blowing and edible attributes of the banana peel with a captive audience. Hussain cautioned would-be wasters, "Don't chuck the peel away. Cook it up with some garlic and onions and barbecue sauce, stick it in a burger, and you've got, like, pulled pork, pulled chicken." The New York Times went on to explain the Bangladeshi celebrity chef learned how to cook banana peels from her father, who prepared them in this manner at his restaurant. Who knew?

But if the thought of cooking and eating a banana peel makes you feel like you are playing a game of never have I ever, you are not alone. Eating these yellow skins is not a traditional way of consuming this fruit in the United States, but that doesn't mean it can't be. Today offered viewers some tips to incorporate the banana peel into their diets. The news site revealed that if you try to eat the peel straight from the banana, it will taste tart. Instead, they recommend trying it in a smoothie, frying it, or adding it to banana bread if you are a first-timer.