# DD is eating orange peels...



## CryPixie83 (Jan 27, 2004)

OK, so how bad for my dd is it for her to be eating orange peels? She's only getting little bits and I haven't nticed any adverse reactions, but my paranoid mommy brain is turned into the "on" position...


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## captain optimism (Jan 2, 2003)

If they are organic, it's not bad at all.

The outer rind of oranges, called the zest, is used in lots of recipes to flavor things with orange oil. The inner rind, or pith, is also edible. It's used in Chinese medicine to reduce phlegm. So it's a perfectly good thing to eat. I remember as a child being told that Israelis in the 1950s used to coat the peels in batter and fry them to approximate chicken. I don't know whether that is true!

The only real problem with orange peels is what the producer coats them with to preserve them. If they are coated with edible wax, that's probably okay. Shellac--not so much. Also, pesticide exposure is an issue.


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## CryPixie83 (Jan 27, 2004)

I had totally forgotton about using the zest in different recipes..

Thankfully yes, the oranges are organic









Thank you!


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## steffanie3 (Mar 17, 2002)

DH eats them, he says there is more vitamin c in the peel than the orange. I would also say that organic oranges are going to be better for your dd.


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## Momtezuma Tuatara (Mar 3, 2004)

It's great. All kids should eat organic peel. Bioflavinoids, anti-free-radicals, vitamin C, a whole host of other things.

What more goodies could you want.







:

Oh, and no flea will want to come near her


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## cheery (Jul 29, 2004)

wow! that is so great! i have been painstakingly grating these orange peels andmaking banana bread. why didnt i think of offering them as is? hwo did you get your dd to eat them??? of course i've never eaten them straight, i guess i shoudl try it first.


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

I love eating the insides of oranges.It is actually really good for cleansing as well.It will help clean out your gut like nothing else.I should know, I did an orange cleanse once in college.







:

You can also do this with a lemon: take the inside peel and rub on your hands after eating it, or a meal.It willl help clean your skin. Usually in fruits with a peel, the peel is just as, if not more nutritious,Banana peels are known for getting rid of warts.


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## CryPixie83 (Jan 27, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cheery*
wow! that is so great! i have been painstakingly grating these orange peels andmaking banana bread. why didnt i think of offering them as is? hwo did you get your dd to eat them??? of course i've never eaten them straight, i guess i shoudl try it first.

Just gave her the whole orange to play with LOL She's almost 10 months old, she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth :LOL


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

boy, ya learn someting new everyday around here! I never would have thought of eating an orange peel! :LOL


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## Vermillion (Mar 12, 2005)

Wow&#8230; interesting. I know the white part of the orange inside the peel (which usually goes uneaten for more) is LOADED with good stuff, antioxidants and such. I have never thought to give DS the peel.

I know my DS wouldn't eat one plain though. I think I will try chopping one up and blending it in a smoothie. I wonder if that would work well?


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## amma! (Apr 30, 2005)

hey so i looked up bioflavonoids and one of hte websites says that:

" Vitamin P was first discovered in the white part of citrus fruits and the flavanoids are responsible for making the yellow and orange colours we see in the fruits."

( see http://www.anewlife.co.uk/vitamin_p.html)

i guess that means no point using the orange peels in cooking and baking? i guess i will try blending an orange and straining the juice...


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## captain optimism (Jan 2, 2003)

The pith (white part) is very bitter. I think you should use the zest in baking and let a little bit of pith stick to it, and use the fruit in eating and let a little bit of pith stick to that. Which is pretty much what happens anyway, right? Do you need to get a ton of pith to be healthy?


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## Vermillion (Mar 12, 2005)

I just made smoothies with yogurt, banana, pineapple, and fresh orange. I got as much of the white part as I could get and blended it right in. Any bitterness was covered up perfectly by the other fruits and yogurt.

I didn't try the peel this time but I will soon.


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