Ugly Fruit Might Actually Be Better For You, Study Says

If you don't judge a book by its cover, then you shouldn't judge produce by their bumps and bruises. We already know that supermarkets are trying to push "ugly" fruit that's misshapen, bruised, or scarred in some way to cut down on food waste.But now there's even more reason to love your misshapen fruits and vegetables. According to orchardist Eliza Greenmann, an informal study of her produce found that bruised apples had two to five percent higher sugar content and more antioxidants than their perfect cousins.

Studies have already been done to support her claim. Thanks to a 2014 review of more than 300 peer-reviewed studies, we already known that organic produce — which has a higher percentage of ugly fruit — contains less pesticide residue and more antioxidants than factory farm-produced shiny apples and pears, according to NPR.

Plus, according to Greenmann, fruits with dimples and blemishes actually show the "battle scars" of their fought (and won!) battles with pesticides, worms, and surface infections. These unsightly additions to the fruit or vegetable's flesh could actually point to a stronger, healthier specimen.