Having just eaten a small red apple for my mid-morning snack, I’m wondering why more people don’t eat apples.
Apples are plentiful here at the moment, I love seeing trees full of them and an abundance of fallen apples on footpaths and in some of the local parks here. Apples are the perfect snack, easy to throw into your bag for an emergency. They are the perfect “fast food”, contained in their own fabulously coloured packaging.
The versatility of apples is incredible when you think about it. They can be used hot, cold, in sweet and savoury meals, as a sauce, in chutney, as a sweetener and as a thickener and …even as good old cider. They also have lots of nutritional benefits.
Benefits of apples:
- Great for weight watchers as they are low calorie (an average apple usually has less than 100 Kcal)
- Apples are moderately high in sugar but they have a low GI and a low glycaemic load so are great for helping you feel fuller for longer and maintaining energy for decent period of time.
- They contain of vitamin C, are low in fat, cholesterol and sodium.
- A great source of fibre. In fact, apples are a great source of both insoluble and soluble fibre so are beneficial for bowel and heart health.
- Apples have a high antioxidant capacity – they are high in polyphenols particularly. These have been related to improvements in blood sugar control and also to cancer protection.
- Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Quercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system, and has been related to reduced risk of lung cancer
- In fact, eating more apples,(whether alone or in combination with other fruit and vegetables), has been related to reducing risk of developing many conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Diabetes.
So looks like there is more to the humble apple than meets the eye.
Tip
Make sure you eat the skin of your apple…that’s where most of the antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre can be found !
