Nutritious

Apples are nutrient-dense fruits, which means that they contain a lot of nutrients per serving. For a 2,000-calorie diet, the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 2 cups of fruit per day, with whole fruits like apples being recommended. The nutrients in one medium 7-ounce (200-gram) apple are as follows:

• Calories: 104
• Carbs: 28 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Vitamin C: 10% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Copper: 6% of the DV
• Potassium: 5% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 4% of the DV

Vitamins E, B1, and B6 offer 2–5% of the daily value in the same serving. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin B1 (thiamine) is required for growth and development, and vitamin B6 is needed for protein metabolism. Apples are also high in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants are molecules that protect your cells from free radicals, which are harmful molecules that can lead to chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. Leave the peel on apples if you want to get the maximum fiber and polyphenols out of them.