APPLE FESTIVAL COVERAGE

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE APPLE

By Joyce Dorsey
North Carolina Cooperative Extension

LINCLONTON -- Apples are one of the prime and universally available fruits which comprise the fruit and vegetable group of the four essential basic food groups which nutritionists recommend. While apples are not a major source of any one specific nutrient, they contain modest amounts of a number of the important nutrients. The relatively high potassium and low sodium ration in apples is also significant in some cardiac and renal problems as well as in the diets for overweight persons.

Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are the keys to good health. Eating at least two cups of fruit each day will help get you and your family on the path to a healthier lifestyle. And apples, in all their flavorful varieties, fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, prove that good-for-you food can taste good, too.

Apples don’t have fat, cholesterol or sodium, a plus for maintaining heart health. Apples also have lots of fiber—both soluble and insoluble kinds. Fiber helps promote heart health and maintain regularity. Plus, apples help maintain a healthy weight, providing just 80 calories per serving.

Apples are a healthy source of antioxidants, which help maintain normal cell function by protecting against free radical damage. Including apples in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases.


To Peel or Not to Peel?
Actually, there’s no question here – whenever possible, don’t peel that apple. Two-thirds of the fiber, and many of the antioxidants, are found in an apple’s peel. Be sure to wash apples before eating.

Juices that contain less than 100% apple juice will be called “juice beverages,” “juice cocktails” or “juice drinks.” A 4 oz. serving of 100% apple juice counts as one USDA Dietary Guideline serving of fruit.

The proverbial “apple a day” has long been described as a food that helps “keep the doctor away.” Apples and apple products contribute phytonutrients to the diet, compounds found naturally in plants, fruits and vegetables that help make apples good for you. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is the most important step Americans can take to make healthy food choices and achieve better health.