Apples are a naturally convenient food to grab and eat, but are just as good when you slow down and serve them with meals. Including apples in your daily diet offers many health benefits, including a decreased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Fat-free, low in calories and high in fiber, apples are an ideal snack or dessert for health-conscious people and are versatile enough to be combined with other ingredients and featured in main entrees.
Salads
A basic fruit salad featuring sweet apples -- like Golden Delicious -- mixed with other fruits you choose is quick and simple. Serve plain, garnished with mint leaves, or dress with fat-free yogurt for a creamier salad. Top salad greens with strong, crisp slices of apple -- like the Fuji or Braeburn type -- and garnish with nuts and a strong cheese for a dinner salad. A classic Waldorf salad is made with apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise. A slaw based on apples is a twist on tradition. Combine the apple slices with grated jicama, carrots or broccoli stems.
Toppings
Fresh, chopped apples are a healthy topping for a variety of foods. Toss the apples with a bit of citrus juice if you don't use them right away; this prevents them from turning brown. Mix sweet apples with plain, fat-free yogurt or cottage cheese to dress them up. Grated apples with a spicy flavor -- including Winesap or Fuji -- provide flavor and texture when added to a bowl of hot oatmeal or a creamy butternut squash soup. Combine soft, chopped apples with jalapeno peppers, cilantro and limejuice for an apple salsa and serve with whole-grain crackers or atop chicken.
With Dips
Apple slices served with one or more dips make for an easy snack, appetizer or end to a meal. Traditional sweet dips with a twist -- like salted caramel or hazelnut chocolate -- are ideal for a dessert with Red Delicious apples. Serve tart apples -- like Granny Smith or Jonagold -- with a classic spinach dip, hummus or Greek yogurt mixed with herbs. For a quick breakfast, dip apple slices in fat-free lemon yogurt.
Cooked
Fresh apples intensify in flavor when they're lightly cooked, and enhance both sweet and savory dishes. Sliced apples and onion sautéed together make for a traditional dish that is a flavorful accompaniment to roasted chicken or lamb chops. Cook sliced apples with celery and allspice, and serve with pork chops or roasts for an alternative to typical applesauce. Add apple cubes to poultry stuffing or sauté apples until they are soft and add them to a cornbread mix.
References
- UCDavis Medical Center: Apples Offer Some Surprising Health Benefits
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fruit of the Month -- Apple
- "Eating Well"; Jicama-Apple Slaw; September/October 2007
- Food Network.com; Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette; Bobby Flay; 2007
- "Simple & Delicious"; Fluffy Apple Dip Recipe; September/October 2008
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