Organic apples make the perfect health food

Organic apples are one of the most perfect health foods you can eat. They contain a very filling and satisfying type of fiber, which helps with weight control. They also have several powerful nutrients that truly will "keep the doctor away" when consumed on a regular basis.

Pectin
The fiber that is found abundantly in apples is called pectin. This type of fiber is beneficial to your overall health in several ways. Pectin has demonstrated an ability to help lower cholesterol levels. It has also demonstrated a blood sugar stabilizing effect. It has been linked to a lower likelihood of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.

This also has the effect of reducing the appetite and making one feel fuller longer. Organic apples are an excellent snack for this reason. They register at about 50-80 calories depending on their size, so they have minimum impact on your daily caloric intake.

Vegetarian cookbooks: pick of the crop

Catherine Phipps takes stock of the current batch of meat-free cookbooks. Do you trust vegetarian recipes written by meat-eaters?

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in vegetable garb. Do you trust vegetarian recipes written by meat-eaters?
Photograph: Jay Brooks for the Observer

I love meat but, mainly for economic reasons, I find myself cooking more meals with vegetables at their heart. Eating ethically-reared meat is more and more of a luxury, so almost by default I find myself getting closer to Professor Tim Lang's latest advisory which suggests we eat meat just once a week. More chefs and cookery writers are edging away from meat so there are lots of books around to spice up vegetarian meals.
Of the new releases, the standout is Sally Butcher's Veggiestan which romps through vegetarian dishes from the Middle East. Warm, richly spiced dishes are complemented by cool yoghurt and zing from wonderful preserves such as tomato pickle with nigella seeds. The Paul McCartney-compiled Meat Free Monday Cookbook) has an impressive number of contributing chefs (including Anna Hansen, José Pizarro and Giorgio Locatelli) and gets the balance right between the fresh, healthy and seriously indulgent. However, this is not a book you can follow rigidly unless you have a lot of prep time at your disposal – I would love to be able to whip up a Green Pea Curry or Melon Gazpacho for a Monday afternoon snack, but would never find the time.