Apples are one of the healthiest foods you can eat.  They are full of health-promoting nutrients that may lessen those trips to the doctor!

Apples are:
✦ High in fiber - Fiber helps keep you full and your heart healthy.  It also prevents that rapid spike in blood sugar and boosts energy for a while.
✦ High in vitamin C - Vitamin C enhances iron absorption, protects cells from free radicals and helps build tissues in the body.
✦ Low in calories
✦ Fat- and cholesterol-free
✦ High in polyphenols (a type of antioxidant that prevents cell damage, fights cancer cells, promotes brain health, reduces inflammation and protects skin against ultraviolet radiation)
✦ Mostly water


Did you know that there are over 100 varieties of apples grown commercially in the United States?  Some of the more popular varieties (which are all excellent snacks) include:

✦ Gala - Crisp and sweet with a mild flavor; best used for salads, juicing, baking and freezing

✦ Red Delicious - Mildly sweet flavor; best used for salads

✦ Fuji - Crisp, very juicy and sweet; best used for salads and baking

✦ Granny Smith - Strong, sweet-tart flavor; best used for salads, baking and cooking

✦ Honeycrisp - Crisp, sweet and juicy; best used for salads, juicing, baking and freezing

✦ Golden Delicious - Mellow and sweet; best used for salads and baking

✦ McIntosh - Slightly spicy flavor and juicy; best used for applesauce, juicing and apple butter

✦ Pink Lady / Cripps Pink - Crunchy and tart flavor; best used for salads, baking and cooking

✦ Braeburn - Robust, sweet-tart flavor with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon; best used for salads and baking

✦ Ambrosia - Crisp and mildly sweet with hint of pear; best used for salads, baking and cooking

✦ Crispin - Tender, crisp texture with sweet, delicate spicy flavor; best used for baking

✦ Jonagold - Tangy and sweet with honey-like flavor; best used for salads, juicing, hard cider and desserts

✦ Empire - Juicy, crunchy and sweet; best used for salads, applesauce, baking and freezing

✦ Cameo - Crisp and juicy with a balanced sweet-tart flavor with a hint of honey and citrus; best used for cooking and salads

✦ Jazz - Crisp, juicy and mildly sweet-tart; best used for cooking

✦ Macoun - Extra sweet with hints of berry; best used for salads, cooking and baking

✦ Paula Red - Juicy with sweet-tart flavor; can become mealy; best used for cooking and applesauce

✦ Cortland - Juicy with sweet-tart flavor; best used for cooking, applesauce, juicing and apple butter


Apples are in peak season September through November.  Try to visit an orchard for an apple-picking experience!  🍎🍏🍎🍏

Apples are the perfect snack, as they pair well with many foods.  Pairing apples (which are mostly carbohydrate) with protein and healthy fats helps you feel more full.  For example:
✦ Apple + 1-2 tablespoons of a nut butter
✦ Apple + 1 ounce serving (1/4 cup) of nuts
✦ Apple + 1 ounce serving of cheese

But, most important.... DO NOT peel your apples before eating (unless a recipe tells you otherwise) because most of the fiber and polyphenols are located in the apple skin!!

Here are some of the apple dishes I've made this month:  Green Salad with Apples and Cranberries, Tart Apple, Strawberry and Basil Hidden Greens Smoothie; Apple Crisp, Apple and Cinnamon French Toast and Apple and Kale Cheddar Salad.  Check out the recipes below....

Green Salad with Apples and Cranberries
(From: Cookie and Kate)

Total Time: 10 minutes
Yields 4 side salads

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
5 cups green salad blend
1 large Granny Smith apple (chopped)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup green pumpkin seeds
2 ounces goat cheese

Instructions
1. Toast pumpkin seeds in a skillet over medium heat until they are golden brown and fragrant.
2. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and mustard until emulsified.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
3. Add greens to a bowl.  Top with apple, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and cheese.  Drizzle the dressing and enjoy!

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 260, Total fat 18.1 g, Saturated fat 4.3 g,  Polyunsaturated fat 2 g, Monounsaturated fat 11 g, Cholesterol 6.5 mg, Sodium 110.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 23.6 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Sugars 17.2 g, Protein 4.2 g


Tart Apple, Strawberry and Basil Hidden Greens Smoothie
(Adapted from Stemilt World Famous Fruit)

Total Time: 5 minutes
Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

2 Pink Lady / Cripps Pink apples
1 cup light vanilla almond milk
15 strawberries (I used frozen)
10 fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp golden flax seed meal
2 cups chopped hearts of romaine leaves
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Instructions
1. Add almond milk, strawberries, apple, romaine, basil, flax seed meal and lime juice to blender.
2. Blend on high for approximately 1 minute.
3. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 181.1, Total fat 3.6 g, Saturated fat 0.3 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.95 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.05 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 83.6 mg, Total Carbohydrate 37.5 g, Fiber 10.2 g, Sugars 26.5 g, Protein 3.6 g


Healthy Apple Crisp
(From Healthy Liv)

Total Time: 1 hour
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

Apple mixture:
5 Granny Smith apples
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp water
2 tsp cinnamon

Crumble topping:
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel apples and chop them into small wedges of equal size.  Add to large bowl and toss with syrup, water and cinnamon.  Pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
3. Using the same bowl, add all ingredients for crumble topping.  Stir and pour on top of apples.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes until apples are soft.  Cover pan loosely with foil halfway through to prevent over-browning.
5. Enjoy!

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 379.2, Total fat 22 g, Saturated fat 9.9 g, Polyunsaturated fat 5.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 100.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 45.2 g, Fiber 7.2 g, Sugars 27.6 g, Protein 5.6 g


Apple and Cinnamon French Toast

Total Time: 15 minutes
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 Tbsp butter
4 slices whole grain bread
2 Pink Lady / Cripps Pink apples (sliced)
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
1. Crack eggs into a flat bottom shallow dish and beat eggs until fluffy.
2. Using medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet until it sizzles.
3. Place one slice of bread at a time into the egg mixture, turning to coat all sides.  Place bread slices into skillet and cook until golden brown and the eggs are cooked through one side at a time.
4. In the same warm skillet, add 1 Tbsp butter and heat until it sizzles.  Add apple slices and saute 3-4 minutes, until the apples are browned and just beginning to soften.
5. Top each French toast slice with 1/4 of the apples.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of cinnamon on top of the apples.  Serve warm with syrup.

Nutritional information (per serving - does not include syrup): Calories 233.3, Total fat 11.7 g, Saturated fat 5.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.7 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 201.5 mg, Sodium 211.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 23.2 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Sugars 9.9 g, Protein 10.4 g.


Apple and Cheddar Kale Salad
(From Kroger mymagazine)

Total Time: 15 minutes
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

Dressing:
1 shallot, finely diced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
5 cups baby kale
2 small Honeycrisp apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 ounces sharp Cheddar, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup toasted pecans

Instructions
1. Combine kale, apple slices, cheese and pecans in a large bowl.
2. For the dressing, combine shallot, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine.
4. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 368.5, Total fat 29.7 g, Saturated fat 5.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 3.6 g, Monounsaturated fat 17.1 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 113.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24.4 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Sugar 14 g, Protein 6.6 g

I hope you get a chance to enjoy these goodies!!😊

Thanks for reading,
Nina 🍎

Website: www.ninasnutritionalvalues.com
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