Hi friends! How was your long weekend?
We spent Friday night celebrating my husband’s birthday. I made his favorites- homemade pizza and carrot cake and we invited our friends over to camp out in the backyard! We knew all the camp grounds in the Washington area would be full and I am not a big camper myself so this allowed the dads and kids to sleep out and the moms in! Win win! Camping in the backyard is a also great way to keep the kids occupied when you are trying to have adult-time. They had so much fun and we let them stay up as late as we did (which was 11:15pm)!
The rest of the weekend was spent going through the garage and reorganizing for the move. It’s getting closer (and busier!).
Since it will be a while before I am settled in the new house (which I have yet to find), I have come to the realization that there will be less recipe posts and more nutrition posts. Hope y’all don’t mind!
It’s just that recipe development and food photography is super time consuming so something has to give. We still have a couple more weeks before we hit the road, then we will take some time visiting family in Texas before we continue on to Louisiana. So basically it’s going to be a couple months before I am settled. Yikes!
Today I am going to continue my posts highlighting the nutritional benefits of a particular food. I think it will be a good reference for people that are looking for that info and will be a doable series for me! It started with my last post highlighting hazelnuts but I think the easiest thing to do will be to go through the alphabet.
So today A is for apples! Let’s learn more about them, shall we?
The saying “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away” didn’t come about for no good reason. Apples have long been a symbol of good health. They couldn’t be more convenient, wrapped it their own nutritious, edible and tasty skin. Throw them into your bag for on the go snacking.
Don’t even think about peeling them! Much of their healing power is found in the skin. It is high in an antioxidant called quercetin which can help harmful oxygen molecules from damaging cells. This is super important because over time it can prevent changes in the cells that lead to cancer.
Quercetin is thought to be exceptional in the world of healing and has been linked to lower risk of heart disease. Lab studies have also shown that quercetin can inhibit the growth of tumors and also help prevent cancer cells from spreading.
Apples are high in quercetin! Yes!
Apples are also best known for their high fiber content. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, including pectin. One medium apple has ~4 grams of fiber. Insoluble fiber, also known as “roughage”, is found in the skin and is helpful in preventing constipation. Insoluble fiber passes through the GI tract relatively intact, but basically adds bulk to the diet. And insoluble fiber is filling which is why apples are great for weight-manangemnet.
Soluble fiber, unlike insoluble, doesn’t pass right through the digestive tract. It actually forms a gel-like material in the digestive tract (much like oatmeal does) which is beneficial in lowing cholesterol, risk of heart disease and stroke. The pectin, also a type of soluble fiber slows digestion when it forms that gel-like substance which means it also slows the rise in blood sugar, making it a good choice for those with diabetes.
Apples are also related to Alzheimer disease prevention as well as reduced risk of asthma! So many great benefits.
Here are a few ways to use apples other than just enjoying them plain.
[Tweet “An Apple A Day! Nutrition Benefits of Apples + Recipes via @nutritiouseats #fitfluential”]
Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with Apple Slices
So did you learn anything new about the nutrition benefits of apples? What is your favorite way to enjoy them? If you are a blogger, feel free to leave a comment with a link to an apple recipe on your blog!
Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Bites {Gluten Free}
Loaded Southwestern Hummus
How To Build An Easy Charcuterie Board
Simple Seed Crackers
I really do eat an apple a day! They are just so good and so easy to take along anywhere. I’m loving adding them to salads lately.
Angela @ happy fit mama recently posted..Kale Blueberry Superfood Salad
So good in salad!
apples + peanut butter = the best!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted..U-City Memorial Day 5K
Yes, a perfect match!
I am definitely an “apple a day” kind of girl! Like you said, they are best snack because you can just throw them in your bag and go! I had never heard of quercetin so thanks for giving me one more reason to love apples! 🙂
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food recently posted..A Weekend Recap…
The convenience wins for me!
I’m not a huge fan of apple exactly because of the “an apple a day…” thing 😀 I totally got bored with it so for many years I hardly ate any apple. Then I started to check recipes on the internet and cookbooks and realised how versatile apple can be. Since then I have eaten much more apple but never “just an apple” I put it into salads, smoothies or make it together with some meat. I like it 🙂
nutrition mate recently posted..5th day of the workout – first “substitute workout”
Makes sense. I do get bored with apples sometimes, but if they are the super crisp tart ones, I could eat them all the time. They do go well with so many foods too.
Always have apples with their skin on. Makes me want to buy organic!
Love this post – apples are one of my favourite snacks…
Charissa (@ColourfulPalate) recently posted..What I’m Doing for Two Weeks of the Smoothie Challenge
Thanks Charissa! Luckily we get organic apples in our CSA box often. Makes me feel better since we eat the skin. 🙂
I eat an apple pretty much every day – it’s my go-to snack, especially when I’m on the run (which is most of the time!). My kids love them too, and their peel, which makes me so happy since they get the fiber *and* I don’t need to do any work!
Seriously, the prefect on-the-go food!
Apples are my favorite so it’s awesome to see them highlighted!
Julie recently posted..Mai Tais & A Book