The dietary fibre content of fruit and vegetable kitchen preparation waste and UK consumers’ dietary fibre-related attitudes regarding its consumption

"Root-to-tip" eating, which incorporates typically discarded edible plant components such as peels, skins, seeds and stalks into cooking, may reduce food waste while increasing dietary fibre intake. Although fruit and vegetable by-products have been explored to enhance fibre content in foods, the fibre content of many "root-to-tip" components remains unknown. This study quantified total dietary fibre (TDF) in "root-to-tip" and commonly consumed components of 12 types of raw fresh produce. Focus groups with higher education foodservice consumers explored perceptions of fibre and "root-to-tip" eating to inform future interventions. TDF content of "root-to-tip" components ranged from 2.10 g/100 g (watermelon skin) to 9.25 g/100 g (butternut squash skin and seeds) and exceeded that of commonly consumed components in 10 of 12 produce types. Participants viewed nutritional benefits, particularly fibre, as a stronger motivator than sustainability. These findings suggest "root-to-tip" eating could support higher dietary fibre intake while reducing food waste.