By MARY ANN LIENHART CROSS
County Extensions Director, Purdue University

I know fall is really in the air and soon cooler temperatures will help to make for some great home cooking. The cooler temperatures bring to my taste buds so many great tasting local foods. This time of year there are late grapes and cabbage with unlimited possibilities.

Next is American’s favorite: potatoes, and I know you know all the possibilities. The next food that comes to mind is a food you should eat at least once or twice a week, and that is the sweet potato. I really like the deep red orange ones, and baked in a regular oven is my favorite way. There is also wonderful winter squash and they provide unlimited recipe possibilities and are so good for you.

The fall food that has the sweetest flavor and unlimited possibilities is the queen of fruits, the apple! The apple is a special food as it is good for you and tastes good. You need to put the crunch in your healthy eating plan and an easy way to do this is with our locally grown apples. A bonus to living in the Michiana area is that there are so many locally grown varieties that you can pick yourself or purchase them freshly picked.

What’s great about apples is they’re flavorful, high in fiber, nutritious, and low in calories and fat. As adults, we especially need a diet high in nutrients, complex carbohydrates and fiber, but low in fat, sodium and calories. Each of us needs to effectively fight the stress of everyday life as well as reduce the risk of developing heart disease and some forms of cancer and diabetes.

Apples contain a water-soluble fiber called pectin that can actually help lower blood cholesterol levels. The potassium in apples can contribute to the control of high blood pressure. Potassium is also associated with helping to reduce the risk of strokes. Some research has also shown that the carotenoids found in apples can actually help reduce the risks of developing some forms of cancer.

A medium apple, which is about the size of a half cup or a tennis ball, only has about 81 calories, is full of fiber, and can help you maintain a healthy weight. An apple keeps blood sugar levels up making you feel fuller longer. The sweet taste and satisfying crunch adds to your eating pleasure especially if you take the time to really taste it and really chew it.

It is a known fact that the fiber your body can’t completely digest may decrease your possibilities of several other health problems. Apples can also help with the prevention of osteoporosis, which is the bone thinning disease that causes bone fractures in women over 60. Apples contain boron, which is a mineral that works with calcium. Retaining calcium is also important in preventing tooth loss.

A recent U.S.D.A. study showed that boron in apples could help keep you mentally alert by influencing brain function. This fact helps support the need to have a variety of foods in our healthy eating plan.

To increase apples in your healthy eating plan, here are some suggestions you might want to try:

• Mix apple chunks into a favorite high fiber breakfast cereal. The apple chunks add a sweet crunch and extra fiber.
• Don’t forget apples at a salad bar. They’re great tossed in both fruit and green salads.
• For a quick, low calorie dessert, microwave a cored apple in a little apple cider or other fruit juice until tender.
• Apple slices; low fat cheese and whole-wheat crackers make a delicious snack or appetizer. There really is something to that old saying about an apple a day keeps the doctor away.