Nutrition: Add an apple to your February day

The folks at BC Tree Fruits let us know that February is Apple Month in British Columbia. But this seemed like a great reminder for all of us that adding a chopped apple to a bowl of hot oatmeal, tucking this handy snack into a lunch bag or cooking an apple as part of dinner is a good idea any time of year. (And, with modern storage techniques, crisp local apples are available well into the spring.)

It’s also a chance to recall all of the reasons why apples are good for us‘from helping to prevent the buildup of fats on artery walls to keeping smiles at their best by stimulating saliva production, thus lowering the number of bacteria in the mouth.

The latest? In November, researchers in the Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases at Montana State University showed that natural compounds called polyphenols, which are found in apple peel, can reduce inflammation in the colon and increase resistance against auto-immune disease. This could lead to new approaches to treatment for those with various forms of bowel inflammation such as Crohn’s disease.

Try this Brandy Chicken with Apples as a main at dinner, or Snow Peas with Apples and Ginger as a side. And of course, with Valentine’s day next week, what would make a healthier dessert for all your sweethearts than a dark chocolate fondue with slices of red and green apple’along with chunks of your other favourite fruits’for dipping?

What’s your favourite sweet or savoury way to add an apple to your day?