The Most Popular Fall Superfood: Apples!
Did you know the average human eats about 65 apples a year and 5076 in a lifetime? As you can tell, apples are considered one of the most popular fruits in the whole world! Although they are in season in the fall months, they are purchased all year round. A popular fall activity is to go apple picking and it is a great way to support your local farms. An apple is often eaten raw but can also be used in recipes baked or grilled, juices, or drinks. Today we are going to review some nutritional values and benefits as well as great recipes!
Although there are thousands of different types, all apples are high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. They are composed of mostly carbs and water and consist simple sugars including fructose, sucrose, and glucose. They are also very rich in fiber containing an average of about 4 grams. Vitamins and minerals that are present, but not in high amounts, include vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is one of the more common antioxidants in fruit, also known as ascorbic acids, and is essential to the human bodies’ basic functions. Potassium aids in stabilizing blood sugar and pressure, enhancing bone health, and boosts heart health.
61% of the United States’ apples are eaten as fresh fruit. Other than eating an apple raw, there are many ways to eat them. You can dry them out, air fry them, bake them, and grill them. Or, adding them to recipes such as pie, salads, protein balls, or breads.
Dried apples:
- Core 1 apple
- Slide into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
- Place on baking sheet
- Bake at 200 degrees until dry (2-3 hours)
Baked apple (using air fryer):
- Cut apple in half and spoon out some of the inside
- Top with cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, raisins
- Pour water into the pan
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Try our Eat Well Fall Harvest Salad with Squash, Cauliflower, Apples, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Spice Dressing
- Ingredients (makes 1 salad):
- 2 oz Acorn squash, cubed
- 1 ½ oz Cauliflower florets
- ½ oz Pecan pieces
- ½ each Apple, red delicious
- ½ oz Dried cranberries
- 5 oz Lettuce, spring mix
- 2 oz Pumpkin spice salad dressing
- 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt, plain
- ¾ tsp Vinegar
- ¾ tsp Olive oil
- ¼ tsp Maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Crème fraiche
- 1 ½ tsp Pumpkin, canned
- ¼ Garlic clove, minced
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Thyme, fresh
- Pinch of Nutmeg, ground
- Instructions:
- Prepare Pumpkin Spice Salad Dressing: Blend all ingredients until fully combined – refrigerate until ready to eat
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F – put cubed acorn squash on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for ~40 minutes or until tender when pieced with a fork. Let cool.
- Wash cauliflower florets. Fill a pot 2/3 full with fresh water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cauliflower florets and cover. Boil for 3 minutes then flash chill over an ice bath and set aside.
- On a sheet pan, spread out chopped pecans. Place in the 350F oven and dry toast pecans until fragrant, but not burnt. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Cut apple into thin slices.
- Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix with dressing. Enjoy!
