1. Apples
Research shows that consuming apples and apple products helps protect against cancer, heart disease, asthma, and Alzheimer’s disease. Apples are also linked to improved outcomes related to diabetes, weight management, bone, lung, and gut health. This is likely due to apple’s polyphenols, the antioxidant compounds apples contain.3 A 2022 research review concluded that when it comes to chronic diseases, an apple a day could indeed keep the doctor away.
Enjoy apples alone or paired with nuts, nut butter, or hummus. Add chopped apples to oatmeal or overnight oats, smoothies, garden salads, slaws, and stir fries. Apples can also be incorporated into desserts, like dark chocolate covered apple slices and cinnamon baked apples.
2. Avocado
In addition to good fats, avocados are rich in polyphenol antioxidants. A 2020 study looked at the effects of avocados on blood antioxidant levels and “bad” LDL cholesterol. In the study, 45 men and women aged 21–70 with obesity and high LDL cholesterol levels were randomly assigned to one of three diets for five weeks. The first was a low-fat diet with 24% of the total daily calories coming from fat. The other two were moderate in fat with 34% of calories from fat. One of the moderate fat diets included one avocado per day, and the other provided the same amount of fat without avocado.
Only the avocado diet increased blood antioxidant levels and reduced LDL. Researchers concluded that the positive outcomes were due to bioactive compounds found in avocados beyond their fats, including antioxidants.
In addition to antioxidants, one avocado provides 9.25 grams of fiber, 33% of the daily value (DV), and 690 milligrams of potassium, 15% of the DV.6 Potassium is a key mineral and electrolyte that supports nerve function, muscle contraction, and blood pressure regulation.
Whip avocado into smoothies or enjoy it on toast, salads, sandwiches, soups, or chili. You can also use avocado as a mayo alternative, as a creamy salad dressing base, a butter substitute in baking, or in desserts like chocolate avocado pudding or dairy-free ice cream.