Apple Recipes
An apple a day…or an apple recipe a day…
Few people can have missed the message that fruit and vegetables are good for us. When you consider that there are about 30 different vitamins and minerals required by our bodies and no one food can provide them all, it seems reasonable that we need a variety of different foods for good health.
Fruit and vegetables not only offer variety, they also add taste and colour to our plates. In general, they contain a great variety of vitamins and minerals, many of them being rich sources of the antioxidants, A, C and E.
Antioxidants protect the body against oxidation by free radicals which are produced as a result of chemical reactions when food is broken down. Fruit and vegetables are naturally low in fat and are also good sources of fibre or roughage in the diet.
What about “Phyto” nutrients?
Scientists have now unearthed an entire new range of “phyto”-nutrients which offer more benefits to our health and wellbeing. These are plant nutrients thought to help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Fibre
Fruit is an excellent source of dietary fibre. There are two main types of fibre - Soluble and Insoluble both of which have different functions and properties in the gut.
Insoluble fibre helps to keep the digestive tract in good working order by increasing the bulk and softness of the stools. It absorbs water (rather like a sponge) and thus acts as a bulking agent. This helps to prevent bowel conditions suchas constipation, haemorrhoids and diverticular disease.
Soluble fibre forms a kind of gel in the intestine which delays the absorption of certain nutrients. For example, soluble fibre is thought to slow down the digestion of and absorption of carbohydrates, especially glucose, and therefore controls blood sugar within a narrow range and prevents large fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
“5 or More”
It is advised that people eat “five or more servings” of fruit and vegetables each day. The first thing many people need to know is what is a serving?
- 1/2 glass of orange juice
- 1/2 glass of Smoothie
- 2 tablespoons of vegetables e.g. broccoli or carrots
- small bowl of fresh vegetable soup
- one medium sized piece of fruit e.g apple, orange or pear
- 2 tablespoons of cooked fruit
- small salad
- Pick up your or More leaflet in-store today
Did You Know?
Tinned fruit and frozen vegetables are just as nutritious in your diet and are also very handy when you don’t have fresh fruit or vegetables on hand.
How to Get the Best from Your Fruit and Vegetables
To keep your fruit and vegetable fresh and full of nutrition, it is best to:
- Remove any plastic wrapping
- Store in a cool dry place
- Wash and prepare just before cooking or eating to minimize vitamin loss.
- When cooking, cook in a minimum amount of water for a minimum amount of time
- Cook until tender rather than soft
- It is best to steam or microwave rather than boil or fry your vegetables.