Applepalooza

Everywhere I turn there are apples. I know a few weeks ago I was complaining about the price of apples (they seem to cost as much as a candy bar), but now I am hooked! The produce department at Tidal Creek stocks many different varieties. I had no idea there were so many. Honey crisps, Pink Ladies, Galas, Fujis, the list goes on and on. How is a girl to choose?

According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, www.whfoods.org, I shouldn't have to. Low in calories (around 80 per apple) and high in fiber (approx. 4 grams per apple), there is not much here that you could feel bad about snacking on, which means I can have as many as I want! Though WHF does point out :

Most of the apple's fiber is contained in its skin, as is the majority of its quercitin. Unfortunately, in conventionally grown apples, the apple skin is also the part most likely to contain pesticide residues and may have toxic residues if covered in petroleum-based waxes. Since peeling results in the loss of apples' flavonoids and most of its valuable fiber, choose organically grown apples whenever possible.

Luckily, all of the apples that are stocked in the produce department at the co-op are organic, so I don't have to worry when I bite into one. This morning we received a shipment of local Liberty Apples. I had one with lunch today and it was so juicy I should have had a bib!