Eat Better Feel Better

An apple a day may be enough to keep the doctor away, but during apple season you may find yourself wanting more than just one apple! Apples are an excellent food to eat if you are hoping to increase your intake of prebiotic and probiotic foods. This is because apples contain pectin, a component of plant cell walls, which is a prebiotic that helps to feed your microbiome, or the unique collection of bacteria that are present in your gut or intestinal tract. Apples (and all fresh fruits and vegetables) also contain good bacteria that are probably better for you than any probiotic pill or supplement you can buy.

There are many ways to enjoy apples in your diet. Of course, you can eat them fresh and whole, with the skin, which provides the most benefits. You can puree them into an unsweetened applesauce to eat with breakfast, or as a snack, or even as a condiment. You can dry them and turn them into tasty chips to eat alone or dip in nut butter. You can bake apples into luscious desserts. Apples even work well in savory dishes. They make a good crispy addition to a green salad or a chicken salad, or you can add them to a savory porridge.

Caution:  some people will need to limit apples, due to digestive concerns. Cooking them will help.

Apples come in thousands of varieties and over a hundred are grown commercially in the United States. Experiment with different kinds of apples. There is an apple out there for everyone – from red and sweet, to yellow and mild, to green and tart, and everything in between! Here is one apple recipe to try this apple season!

CRAN-APPLE TURKEY MEDALLIONS

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds turkey tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch medallions
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon soft spread
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 shallots, diced
• 1 cup peeled and diced apple
• 1/2 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Place turkey tenderloins in a lightly greased baking dish.
2. Coat with olive oil.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Pour over turkey.
5. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until done.