How do you like them apples?

Do you remember this line from Good Will Hunting when Matt Damon gets the girl’s phone number and rubs it in the faces of the college preppies trying to impress that very same girl? This may be one of my favorite movie lines ever! But I am not writing about movie lines. I want to talk about the goodness of apples.

Apples are abundant this time of year at the Farmer’s Markets and at the supermarkets. There are so many varieties to choose from like MacIntosh, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady. I recently came across this beautiful looking apple at Whole Foods the other day. It caught my attention because it looked more like a plum than an apple. It is called a Black Arkansas and is described as “a bit spicy and uber crunchy with bright white flesh”.

​Most of the apple's important nutrients are contained in its skin. Raw apples consumed with the skin contain vitamins C and K, potassium, and trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals. Apples are fairly high in natural sugar, but also provide a good amount of dietary fiber. They contain both insoluble and soluble fiber (pectin), which helps promote bowel regularity, relieving both constipation and diarrhea. 

In addition, apples are rich in several beneficial phytochemicals like quercetin and chlorogenic acid (CGA). Quercetin is a potent antioxidant and has been associated with a number of health-promoting properties. CGA is another powerful antioxidant that may help improve blood glucose control, reduce insulin resistance, and may be beneficial for brain health.

As far as ways to incorporate apples into the diet, just grab one from your fruit bowl and take a bite. Now that is what I call fast food! Apples can be paired with many dishes, especially pork dishes. They make an excellent ingredient in stuffing or as a side dish at Thanksgiving. Check out this recipe for Paleo Stuffing from Dr. Keesha Ewers.

Paleo Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 pieces of uncooked bacon, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 apples, diced
• 5 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 lb ground pork sausage
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ⅓ cup bone or chicken broth (I made my own this time around, but I often use Imagine brand).

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place diced sweet potato sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt and pepper on it. Bake 20 minutes or until tender.
3. In the meantime, begin to heat bacon in skillet. Add the onions, garlic, apple and celery when there is fat in the skillet to cook them in.
4. Add the sausage and vinegar when the onions are translucent and cook it through until no pink remains. Add salt and pepper.
5. When the sausage mixture is cool, add the cooked sweet potato, cranberries, pecans, the beaten eggs and broth. Stir together into a 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown.
6. Enjoy!!

Sources:
Ewers, K.  (Nov. 2016). Gratitude and Thanksgiving Recipes for Gut Health
Murray, M. (2005). The encyclopedia of healing foods. New York, NY: Atria Books.