Deliciously Healthy Apples
“An apple a day will keep the doctor away.” Different variations of this well known rhyme have been around since the early 1900s, starting out as “Eat an apple on going to bed and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Yes, this phrase has been passed down for generations, but does eating an apple a day really decrease the amount of times you get sick a year? HealthCARE Express is here to tell you that even though eating an apple a day isn’t a cure-all, they are still very beneficial to your health. The best part is: like the saying, there are many different variations of apples–meaning their color, taste, and even texture. Keep reading to find out the benefits of eating apples, how to eat an apple the right way, and even some of our favorite apple recipes!
What are the Benefits of Eating Apples?
An apple a day may not actually keep the doctor away, but did you know apples have many great benefits? Apples are packed with fiber which can help you feel fuller and satisfied longer, and it can help clear out those uncomfortable blockages. Just one medium-sized apple contains 5g of fiber and is just 52 calories! Aside from being a great source of fiber, apples are also rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for a variety of functions in your body, including your immune system. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which can help protect your body from all sorts of health conditions— including cancer, because apples contain 14% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C! See the full nutritional facts below.
Apple Nutritional Facts:
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Potassium: 260mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 34g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Sugars: 25g
- Protein: 1g
- Vitamin A: 2%
- Vitamin C: 8%
- Calcium: 2%
- Iron: 2%
How to Eat an Apple the Right Way
1. Pick the perfect apple
Do you know how to pick the best apples out of the bunch? You don’t want them to be too hard or too soft. Like Goldilocks in the home of the Three Bears, you have to find the ones that are just right. Pick up the apples you’re interested in and gently press your thumb against the side of the fruit. The skin should be firm and have just a small amount of give. Apples that are really soft, bruised, or squish visibly when you press them should be avoided. One bad apple can spoil the bunch, after all.
2. Wash Your Apples
Most of the apples you get at the grocery store have been treated with all kinds of chemicals and pesticides. It’s wise to wash your apples as soon as you bring them home from the grocery store. The longer the pesticides sit on the fruit’s skin, the deeper they will sink into the fruit. You can get rid of most of those chemicals by giving your apples a good, long soak! You can try just using water, but it’s more effective if you use baking soda, too! If you add a teaspoon of baking soda to two cups of water. Let the apples soak in the mixture for about 15 minutes. After letting them soak, rinse the mixture off for clean, pesticide-free apples!
3. Bite right in
There are so many different kinds of apples–your favorite type could tell you a lot about someone’s eating preferences. Regardless of the type of apple you are eating, though, bite right into your apple, stem and all (although it’s more fun to twist it off). See our categories below to see what kind of apples you would like the best:
Sweet
- Red Delicious
- Gala
- Fuji
- McIntosh
Tart
- Granny Smith
- Honey Crisp
- Melrose
- Braeburn
Apple Recipes
Aside from there being multiple different types of apples, there are also a multitude of ways to prepare apples from a simple apple slice snack to a full on homemade apple pie! Here are 5 different recipes that we here at HealthCARE Express love!
Homemade Applesauce
While making your own applesauce may sound like a huge undertaking, it’s a surprisingly simple task. All you need are 3 chopped and peeled apples, ¼ cup of water, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, a crockpot, and a potato masher!
Dreamy Apple Pie
This Dreamy Apple Pie recipe is the perfect solution for your apple pie and apple crumble cravings!
Red Sangria
Adding colorful fruits like apples and cranberries to your sangria will give you that perfect twist!
Candied Apples
With fall right around the corner, these candied apples will be the perfect treat for you and the kids!
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
This caramel apple cheesecake is truly to die for! Every bite of this fall favorite explodes with apple sweetness in your mouth.
HealthCARE Express + Eating Apples = Ultimate Health
If you’re allergic to apples, then not to worry because there are other foods you can eat for good health. For those lucky enough to snack on these tasty fruits, we’d love to hear your opinion on apples and even get your take on the recipes we shared! Here at HealthCARE Express we are experts in more than just apples, though. We have over 17 different locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Each of our facilities is equipped with professionals who can assist you with COVID services, occupational medicine, imaging and X-Rays, immunizations and vaccines, hormone therapy, and more. Visit our website to find an urgent care location closest to you, and give us a call! We can’t wait to hear from you.
