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An apple a day really does keep the doctor away, at least in this case the cardiologist. New research shows that polyphenols, an antioxidant in apples, lowers LDL (low density lipoprotein), the bad cholesterol. Find out more about the study by reading the article from Science Daily. (Click on Science Daily to read.)

Apples are usually the first food that comes to people’s mind when they think about a healthy food, so I wouldn’t expect this information to surprise many people. Along with their antioxidants, a medium size apple has about 4 grams of fiber and provides some vitamin C as well. Lots of nutrition for only 100 calories.

Apples ripen 6-10 times faster at room temperature, so make sure you are keeping your apples in the refrigerator to allow them to stay fresh longer. Don’t forget to wash your apples prior to consumption. Apples are listed in the “dirty dozen,” so you might want to consider buying organic apples.

My family enjoys eating apples raw. Adding peanut butter to dip them in is tasty as well, but my little one is still under 2 so no peanut butter yet. We also love baked apples for a healthy dessert. Here is a yummy baked apple recipe for you to try.

You need:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 apples, cored (I like Granny Smith)
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, walnuts, margarine, and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the filling and place in a pan. (An easy job for little ones to help with!) Pour in the apple juice. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You know they are done when the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

You can also make these in the crock-pot as well. Cook on high for 2 1/2 – 3 hours.

My husband has been in a trivia mood lately, so I thought I would spread the trivia spirit and leave you with some apple trivia from OrangePippin. Do you know how much a bushel of apples weighs? How many apples does the average US consumer eat in a year?

Ready for the answers?

A bushel of apples is approximately 42 pounds and the average American consumes 46 pounds of apples in a year. That’s a lot higher than I would have guessed! Keep eating those apples!