Thursday, October 14, 2010

It's Apple Time!

We are so fortunate to be able to find good apples year-round in most places in this country.  But in the fall we are even luckier because apples at their flavor-peak start showing up at the grocery store.  One of my favorite apples, the Honeycrisp variety, are starting to make an appearance at my local grocery store and I couldn't be happier!   I  look forward to their appearance every fall because I just love how they burst with a sweet yet slightly tart taste.  (If you haven't tried a Honeycrisp apple yet, go find one, you are in for a treat!)  Even though I relish my daily apple for its wonderful flavor, sometimes I also like to remind myself of all the nutrients found in an apple.

Apples are a good source of vitamin C and fiber.  Apples also contain flavonoids, a type of phytochemical.  The most prevalent flavonoid in apples is quercetin.  Quercetin has shown promise in some studies as being an inhibitor of cancer, and other studies have shown that people who eat a lot of apples have lower rates of lung cancer.

How about serving apples for snack today?  They are a quick, easy, yummy and nutritious!

Tip: Make sure you eat the skin, the quercetin is concentrated there.

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