Apples

A fresh apple is an ideal snack. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. It contains a good dose of pectin, the soluble fiber that thickens jellies and helps lower artery-damaging LDL blood cholesterol levels.

Benefits:

• Low in calories and high in soluble fiber that hellps lower cholesterol
• Packed with numerous phytochemicals such as quercetin that may help prevent heart disease and cancer
• Apples enhance dental hygiene

Drawbacks:

• Relatively low in nutrients.
• Skin may contain pesticide residues.

Apples have long been called nature's toothbrush, while they don't actually cleanse the teeth, they still enhance dental hygiene. Biting and Chewing an apple stimulates the gums, and the sweetness of the apple prompts an increased flow of saliva, which reduces tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria in the mouth.