Late summer to early fall is the perfect time to add more apples into your diet. Sweet, nutritious, and full of variety, this superfood is great in snacks, meals, beverages, and much more.
Apples and Nutrition
Apples are extremely nutritious and beneficial to your body. One medium apple has around 60 calories. They are a source of carbohydrates, which your body uses for energy. They are also a fantastic source of fiber with each apple containing about four grams. Fiber helps keep you full, lowers glucose levels, and aids in digestion. Apples are rich in a variety of nutrients, specifically vitamin C and Potassium.
What’s in Season?
Apples are available at the grocery store year-round. You will see Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious in stores regularly. Other in-season apples appear for a short time, but you can often find them at local farmers markets or orchards.
- August: Gala and Ginger Gold apples are in season early. Gala apples have a sweet taste and Ginger apples can be tart. They are some of the most popular varieties and also great for making applesauce.
- September: Honeycrisp, Jonathan, and McIntosh are great September apples. Their flavors are different, so it’s easy to mix things up! Honeycrisp apples are sweet and tart. Jonathans are spicy and tangy. McIntosh apples are also tangy. Try a variety of different flavors!
- October: Rome and Jonagold are great October choices. Rome apples offer a sweet taste while Jonagolds can be both sweet and tart.
Adding Them in
There are lots of different ways to add more apples into your diet:
- Have one as a midday snack
- Add a chopped apple to any salad
- Try apples and peanut butter for a protein-based snack
- Put apple pieces in your morning oatmeal for a tasty crunch
- Consider making homemade applesauce
- Try dried apples for a quick snack
- Add them to cookies and muffins for a treat
Try This Delicious Apple Recipe:
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples and Squash
Source: EatingWell.com
This is a perfect fall meal!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium acorn squash (about 1 3/4 lbs.), seeded and cut into eights
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 2 medium Pink Lady or Braeburn apples, cut into eights
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Position racks in center and lower third of oven. Place a large rimmed baking sheet on each rack and preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss squash with oil, 1 tablespoon sage, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place the squash, cut-side down, on one of the baking sheets. Add apples to the bowl and toss to coat with the remaining oil mixture; set aside.
Coat the other baking sheet with cooking spray and place the pork on it. Sprinkle the pork with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Brush the top with mustard and sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon sage. Place the pork on the lower rack and the squash on the center rack and roast for 10 minutes.
Add the apples to the pan with the pork. Flip the squash. Continue roasting until the squash is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork registers 145°F, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Transfer the pork to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Pour vinegar around the apples and scrape up the browned bits. Toss the apples with the squash. Slice the pork and serve with the squash and apples.
