My latest discovery? You can eat the skin of a kiwifruit – and the benefits are myriad

Who knew? Photograph: Antonio Busiello/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenWho knew? Photograph: Antonio Busiello/Getty ImagesMy latest discovery? You can eat the skin of a kiwifruit – and the benefits are myriadAdrian ChilesIt turns out all that time spent peeling and paring was entirely wasted. Now I’m gobbling them like apples and putting the extra fibre to good use

Every day’s a school day, honestly. How on earth did I get to just short of my 60th birthday before finding out that you could eat the skin of kiwifruit? Astounding, just astounding. What a revelation. It’s odd, because of all fruit skins, it’s probably the one that looks least appetising. Nice clean oranges and bananas almost beg to be troughed, skins and all, yet we know this is a no-no. But it turns out that all of this small, hairy, boringly coloured object can go down the hatch. Admittedly, I have been slicing the ends off first, but I might start eating them, too.

The first time is the hardest. You need to set aside years of prejudice against that hairy skin that you’ve been so painstakingly removing. Mind over matter. Initially, I sliced my kiwis longways and then each half into four. Now, I’m just eating them like apples. Sometimes three bites, usually two, occasionally just the one. I promise you, a lifetime’s fear of the fur evaporates in an instant. At least, for me it did. I have to report that when I talked my mum into giving it a try, she gagged alarmingly and swore at me with some venom as she fought to expel bits of skin from her mouth. Perhaps it’s not for everyone, after all.

The health benefits are many, apparently. Plenty of furry fibre (I’m sure the furry type is the best) and all kinds of nutrient blah as well. This wasn’t the appeal for me, so much as the dispensing of the faff, all the peeling and paring. That said – and I apologise for oversharing – increasing the furry fibre intake made short shrift indeed of a recent bout of constipation. Highly recommend.

The kiwifruit’s trade association needs to get this out there – the easy eating, that is, not the laxative effect. I think it’s possible it doesn’t even know. In Lidl in Stourbridge this week, I saw some badged up as “easy peelers”. What? No need! If there had been anywhere to give them a wash, I’d have commenced an eat-it-whole demonstration there and then. Seriously, this is marketing gold. My kiwi consumption has gone from every now and then to every other hour. Once the word gets out, all that pent-up demand will be unblocked. Get yourself out there and panic-buy, while stocks last.

Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist