I love texture in my cooking and enjoy experimenting with different techniques. On a whim, I tried adding a browning banana, peel and all, to my smoothie and I was surprised to find how smooth and frothy it became! And there was no trace of grittiness. I thought, I’m onto something! Plus there’s over 30% more nutrients in the peel than in the fruit alone so double bonus. It saves time when you don’t have to peel all your fruit and veggies first. Even if you have to cut or peel, there are still lots of uses for them.

The impact on the environment is extraordinary. Over 1 billion pounds of banana peels alone end up in landfills every year – in the US alone. When any organic matter starts to break down, it creates methane gas, which contributes to greenhouse emissions. We can do our part to preventing that waste from ever getting into a landfill.

Save the Peels is an initiative – we call it the...