Did you know that a really good apple squirts juice when you take the first bite? In Missouri and Kansas, our climate and soil combine to give our apples beautiful color and a sweet, superb flavor.

Local Varieties

• Jonathan apples are by far the leading Midwest variety. This classic, American apple has a crisp texture and tart flavor, making it a perfect ingredient for pies and desserts.
•  Red Delicious apples are the most popular variety worldwide. Our Midwest climate creates this flavorful apple that is best purchased and eaten right after harvest.
•  Golden Delicious is mild flavored, yet spicy and juicy. As a naturally sweet apple, it is ideal for applesauce, cider and fresh salads.
•  Gala apples are juicy and crisp enough to be eaten whole or sliced for a snack. 

Nutritional High Points

• A healthy and portable snack, apples are a no fat, cholesterol free fresh dessert as well as an excellent source of fiber.
•  Apples are also a great source of vitamins and minerals: A, B1, B2, C, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, and potassium.
•  Sometimes called “nature’s toothbrush,” apples help clean your teeth and massage your gums.

Keeping the Crunch 

• A plastic bag helps retain the juiciness of apples, Store bagged apples in your crisper drawer of your refrigerator
• .Apples ripen ten times faster at room temperature than when refrigerated. Cool air between 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit will help maintain quality and crispness.
•  One bad apple will definitely spoil the bunch, Sort out any bruised or cut apples before storing.

Celebrate the Season

• Warm apple cider on the stove or in the microwave; add a cinnamon stick and a slice of orange for a quick evening drink.
•  Add your favorite rum or brandy for a kicked up adult version of apple cider.
•  Take a short drive to a nearby orchard to pick your own apples, enjoy a country hayride and savor the crisp sweet taste of autumn.

Randy Miller, Produce Manager at GreenAcres Market in Kansas City loves this time of the year. “Our local apples look great right now, but you can’t go wrong choosing any apple variety this month” he says. “They are a perfect, portable and healthy snack, and a great way to celebrate the season.”

What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate fall and apple season?

Recently, 550 million eggs produced at two Iowa farms were recalled after more than 1600 people became sick after eating eggs contaminated with salmonella. Both farms voluntarily recalled their eggs, creating the largest egg recall effort in United States history and leaving consumers looking twice at the egg cartons in their local grocery and wondering if certain types of eggs are safer than others.

Purchasing eggs from local smaller farms, many of which sell free-range and organically fed products, may feel like a safer choice to some shoppers. These smaller, local farms often have smaller flocks, where salmonella, a potentially lethal food-borne bacterium, has a lesser chance of spreading. That could mean a healthier chicken, a healthier farm, and ultimately a healthier consumer.

Locally, the Maddick family operates Campo Lindo Farms, just north of Kansas City in Lathrop, Missouri. Theirs is a real family farm of 280 acres where 3600 hens supply Kansas City with Grade A large brown eggs. Though Jay and Carol Maddick also raise all-natural beef and lamb, chickens and eggs make up the majority of the farm’s business. Campo Lindo hens are all-natural, free-range birds with outdoor space to run and grow. In addition to the natural pasture, their hens also get natural feed of corn and soybeans, with no added growth hormones or antibiotics. “We feed no antibiotics or hormones, though I like to stress that poultry feed never contains hormones,” says Carol Maddick.

The extra attention small farmers give to their herds, like that provided by the Maddick family, creates not only a better tasting egg, but ultimately a more secure shopper. “I think it’s important for people to know where their food comes from” Carol Maddick adds. And although the claims that eggs with labels such as organic, free range and cage free have lower levels of salmonella are unsubstantiated at this time, knowing your local farmer and where your food comes from can ease your mind that you are purchasing and eating safe, disease-free products for you and your family.

GreenAcres:   First, what is your title of preference? Food Coach, Nutrition Counselor, Health Coach, Natural Foods Chef…?

Leslie Stullken: Food Coach! I teach people how to plan, shop and cook healthier meals, as well as, teaching solutions to issues surrounding food and what goes on around the table.

GreenAcres: What inspired you to become a Food Coach?

Leslie Stullken: I grew up in Western Kansas with things like homemade yogurt popsicles, buckwheat pancakes and vegetables at every meal. No junk food, sugary cereals or soda. Oh the deprivation of home cooked meals from scratch when my friends got Chips Ahoy cookies! But what embarrasses you most as a kid, becomes what you do for a living! My Grandpa was an organic farmer outside of Lawrence, Kansas. and  my mom was always on the cutting edge of health and nutrition.  The turning point to follow my passion was when my Mom was diagnosed with cancer and our family went to a nutrition class. The attendee’s were learning the chemistry of healing and healthy foods but didn’t know how to buy or cook them. I had been cooking since gradeschool and felt right at home. Four years ago I gained certification as a Holistic Health Coach thru the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. I started My Healthy Table, to help people make the leap into healthier eating and learn to create quick, easy, healthy and tasty meals.

GreenAcres: In addition to the What’s For Dinner Class Series at GreenAcres Market, what other services do you provide as a Food Coach?

Leslie Stullken: I love doing Corporate Health & Wellness workshops, health fairs, group presentations and cooking demonstrations. Some of the topics I cover are

• • What’s Sugar Got To Do With It?
  • Healthy Holiday Eating
  • Hotflash Cooking For Hormones and Health
  • Greens, Grains & Beans-Tell Me More
  • Got Cravings-Let’s Talk About It!
  • Meal Planning Made Simple

I also offer a twist on dinner parties called “Friends Night In- An Evening of Healthy Eating.” I’ve done girls nights, couples, and co-workers and it’s a blast! I create a seasonal menu, grocery shop, and then set up cooking stations in their home, because the goal is- everyone’s in the kitchen learning! We create a delicious meal and talk about about health, nutrition and the foods we’re eating. Everyone leaves with recipes, information and sometimes, leftovers.

GA: It sounds fun!

LS: It’s so much fun to be creative and get the group to be interactive-because who wants to listen to another lecture! I’ve done groups from 6 to 90 and the topics can be anywhere from a 15 minute to ½ day, depending on the corporation and employee’s needs.

GreenAcres: What do you enjoy most about your profession?

Leslie Stullken:I love teaching and the interaction in my cooking classes, working with groups and doing presentations on food, food-related topics and sharing resources on how to buy local, seasonal, organic or clean foods. The real satisfaction comes from someone telling me how they’ve changed their diet, lost the weight, feel better, or feel more comfortable shopping for healthier food and are excited about cooking again! How cool is that! I

GreenAcres: What 3 specific things should everyone eat the most of?

Leslie Stullken:

1. Protein. You don’t need a lot but it’s the fuel that gets you going. Depending on the meal, it could be 2 Tablespoons of almond or all-natural peanut butter, 3-4 oz of pasture-raised, hormone and antibiotic free chicken, beef, turkey or pork, or ½ cup beans, the cleansing machines!
2. Dark Leafy Greens. These are some of nature’s best foods for us! I’m talking Kale, Spinach, Collards, Bok Choy, Tatsoi, Mustard, Dandelion to name a few.  Many of us didn’t grow up with them and are hesitant to fix “greens”. But they’re super easy to make, packed with flavor and can used in everything from stir fry’s, soups, or just sauteed with a little olive oil, garlic, sea salt for adelicious side dish. Many leftover greens are wonderful in eggs for breakfast too!

3. Color. I know it sounds funny, but how many times have you looked at your plate of food and it was all the same shade! Go for at least 3 colors per meal! Aim for 5 or even 6! It’s easy when you have vegetables (tomato red, sweet potato orange, spinach green, sweet corn yellow, garlic white and all those greens), fruits (apple red, pear green, grapefruit  pink, clementine orange, berries in crimson and blue) and grains (brown rice, yellow polenta, red quinoa, earth shades of buckwheat and millet) and don’t forget all those colorful beans (yellow split peas, white navy beans, black beans, red pinto beans, golden garbonzo’s, green lentils)! Bottom line: more color, means more nutrition, most of all, more yummy flavors!

GreenAcres: What is the easiest way to improve your eating habits?

Leslie Stullken: We all have hurdles-so ask for help! How many times have you bought a “highly recommended” fruit, vegetable, meat, grain-got it home and never used it?! My theory is: if you don’t know how to shop for it, how will you ever get it into your kitchen to cook it?

Have fun learning about healthier foods: Take a cooking class so you can try it before you buy it. Talk to the Produce Manager, the person behind the counter, the store staff, the grower at your Farmers Market-people love to share their information, knowledge, recipes and cooking ideas.

Hire a Food Coach to work with you, start a healthy-eating dinner club so everyone gets to try new foods or recipes. Once your palate starts to crave fresh grown foods, you stop craving the junk foods…and within a few weeks, I’ve seen people not even miss that stuff and instead, they’re excited about healthier eating!

GreenAcres: What is your number one tip for good health and nutrition?

Leslie Stullken: Eat a variety of foods! We all get bored with the same ol’ things in our fridge. That’s why I love eating “seasonal” foods-you get to change what you cook and eat winter, spring, summer and fall! And, your body will love eating the most nutritious food possible at the peak of it’s growing season!

For more information on the What’s For Dinner Cooking Class Series at GreenAcres, visit www.GreenAcres.com or call (816) 746-0010. For more information on My Healthy table, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com and search for MyHealthTable.