It all started while my sisters and I were trying to set up a Zoom call last Sunday. As we texted our schedules back and forth, trying to work around meals and football games, one sister mentioned she needed a little extra time for dinner because she had potatoes to mash. My other sister responded that she never mashes potatoes anymore, she just boils them. So of course I had to add that I make mashed potatoes only two or three times a year, but when I do, I don’t peel them first, as they’re healthier, prettier, and easier that way.

That’s how I got to apples as my New Year’s Resolution.

Our text conversation on potatoes led to one sister saying she needed to get more vegetables in her diet, but that whenever she bought them, she’d usually forget they were in the fridge and they ended up going bad. She said she was good with her protein intake, and literally ate an apple a day, but just had a problem with veggies.

I suggested she buy frozen vegetables instead of fresh, which may solve her problem. But what I remembered – and was most impressed with – about our conversation was the “apple a day” part.

I’m sure we all remember the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” There’s a lot of truth to that, and most health-related articles that mention apples talk about how nutritious they are, and include a long list of their health benefits.

I’m all for that, plus I like the taste of apples. Still, for some reason, I’ve never gotten in the habit of eating apples on a regular basis. Whenever I need apples for something I’m going to cook or bake, I often buy a whole bag – remembering how healthy they are – but I rarely eat all of them before they go bad.

However, I’ve now got a new source of motivation. If my sister can do it, so can I. And to give me even more of an incentive, I’ll make it one of my New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve still got a few weeks before I need to start, which will give me time to collect some apple-based recipes for when I want to do something other than eating them plain and raw. I realize that things like apple pie and apple coffeecake would cancel out the health benefits of apples, so I’ll focus on side dishes and fruit salads rather than snacks and desserts. If you have any good recipes, please send them my way.

By the way, my sisters and I found a time on Sunday to Zoom that worked for all of us. We had a lot to talk about and catch up on besides apples, potatoes, and frozen vegetables. But I’m already looking forward to a conversation, sometime in the future, when I can tell my sister how she inspired me to add a healthy habit to my daily life.

And ask her how she’s doing with those vegetables.

December 12, 2020
©Betty Liedtke, 2020

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