{"id":57030,"date":"2017-03-21T07:15:55","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T11:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=57030"},"modified":"2017-04-03T15:53:39","modified_gmt":"2017-04-03T19:53:39","slug":"produce-scraps-cooking-reduce-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/produce-scraps-cooking-reduce-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Genius Ways to Use Produce Scraps (And Eliminate Waste)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"8
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You may have mastered meal prep<\/a> and have a slew of go-to recipes featuring your washed, peeled, chopped and neatly stored fruits and veggies. But as you\u2019re slicing and dicing to get to the \u201cmeat\u201d of your produce, you\u2019re forgetting a few tasty parts: roots, sprigs and rinds. Lots of these leftovers contain key nutrients, like vitamins A, B, C and K, fiber and potassium. So toss \u2018em and you\u2019re missing out on some serious health benefits \u2014 not to mention delicious dishes.<\/p>\n

From carrot<\/a> leaves to broccoli trunks to kale ribs, you can make use of these vegetable vestigials to prepare tasty broths or fiber-rich snacks. Read on to find out how food experts use every part of their fruits and veggies, so nothing goes to waste<\/a> in your own kitchen.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Is Organic Really More Nutritious? Science Says Yes<\/a><\/p>\n

8 Ways to Get More From Your Produce<\/h2>\n

1. Stock Up<\/h3>\n

Your excess herb sprigs, onion peels and beet<\/a> greens will be lifesavers when you\u2019re sick and crave some homemade soup<\/a>. Libby Mills, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests keeping a Ziplock bag in the freezer and tossing scraps in there as you cook. When the bag gets full, you know it\u2019s time to make a fresh batch of stock. All you have to do is boil the produce in water for about an hour. When it\u2019s done, strain it and you have the base for soups<\/a>, risottos<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n

To add even more zing to your soup, Ali Maffucci, food blogger and founder of Inspiralized<\/a>, takes the rinds of cheeses like Parmesan and throws them into the broth while it\u2019s cooking. Just remember to take them out before you eat.<\/p>\n

2. Zest You Can<\/h3>\n

Monica Klausner, co-founder of the meal delivery service, Veestro<\/a>, likes to use lots\u00a0of greens to flavor her grains. \u201cI put the leaves of beets and carrots, the tops of peppers and sprigs of herbs like dill or thyme in a cheese cloth and cook them with my buckwheat, farro or other grains,\u201d says Klausner. Remove the cloth when you\u2019re finished cooking, and you have a side dish or bowl base<\/a> that brings a more earthy flavor to your meal. Better yet, bitter greens are good for your gut and aid in digestion<\/a>, so also try them in your smoothie or Maffucci\u2019s favorite: frittatas.<\/p>\n

Mills suggests using citrus zest to spice up your salad<\/a>, muffins or soup even more. You can also infuse vinegar, oil<\/a>, salt or sugar with fruit rinds for a burst of citrus in your salad dressing<\/a>, fish seasoning or cookie topping. Steeping or muddling fruit rinds in alcohol makes for a deliciously fancy cocktail<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>19 Ways to Add Flavor for 10 Calories or Less<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Chip In<\/h3>\n

You can turn almost anything into a crisp\u00a0chip \u2014 even veggies and fruits. (Kale and banana chips, anyone?) Klausner suggests roasting the leaves of beets, carrots and celery in the oven with olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper so they turn into a healthy homemade snack<\/a>. Potato skins and apple peels also make great fiber-rich alternatives to traditional chips, says Mills. Want another snack option? Swap your chips for toasted seeds from pumpkins, squash and even watermelons (yes, those are edible too).<\/p>\n

4. Enrich Your Water<\/h3>\n

Getting your fill of agua\u00a0for the day can get boring \u2014 that is, unless you add some juicy flavors. For\u00a0citrus-infused H2O<\/a> that you can grab and go, Maffucci likes to put chopped orange, lemon or lime rinds in ice cube trays, top with water and freeze. Pop \u2018em in your bottle the next day for extra tasty hydration<\/a>. The fruit also infuses\u00a0your water with essential minerals and electrolytes that can help you power through your workouts.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 14 Flavor-Packed Fruit Infused Water Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Pickle It<\/h3>\n

That crunchy pickle you crave doesn\u2019t have to come from a cucumber. Watermelon rinds \u2014 chock-full of chlorophyll, which boasts healing benefits \u2014 and the middle stems of rainbow chard also make for a great crunchy, salt-and-vinegar snack. Try subbing in other produce to prepare this pickled vegetable recipe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. Wok This Way<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a super quick weeknight meal, your answer is a stir fry \u2014 and you can include lots of veggie leftovers in it. Mills recommends cooking broccoli and kale<\/a> stems or the rinds of your watermelon over high heat with a blend of other veggies for an easy, nutrient-dense dinner. Add your scraps into any one of these eight speedy stir-fry dinners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>12 Easy Dinner Ideas Ready in 30 Minutes or Less<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Scent Your Home<\/h3>\n

Trying to get rid of funky odors or planning to have company over? The smell of produce can freshen up your home. Take a cue from Klausner: Boil citrus rinds with cloves and cinnamon in a large pot. The sweet, cozy aromas will permeate the room for a natural air freshener.<\/p>\n

8. Make New Roots<\/h3>\n

Buying whole veggies \u2014 root and all \u2014 has its pay offs. Mills likes to create her own garden by replanting the roots of celery, onions and scallions or the seeds from heirloom tomatoes. (Peppers will also work, but only if you buy from a farmer\u2019s market where they\u2019re not commercially grown.) Not only will you have fresh veggies<\/a> right in your backyard, but you\u2019ll save some money, too. Now that\u2019s a win-win.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t let leaves, rinds and other produce \u201cscraps\u201d go to waste. Turn them into tasty meals with these tricks that get you more from your fruits and veggies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":57032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[51,52,59,292,87,341,388,306],"class_list":["post-57030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-food-choices","tag-fruit","tag-healthy-substitutions","tag-meal-prep","tag-snacks","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition","tag-vegetables"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57030\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}