VIENNA, VA. — The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) today praised The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for making apples and other fruits a key component of its redesign of MyPyramid, which offers consumers a plan for healthy eating, in accordance with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The new guidelines, unveiled today and found at www.mypyramid.gov, recommend eating two cups of fruit per day, which is approximately the equivalent of two apples.

"Of all the dietary advice recommended in the guide, eating apples may be the easiest to implement in today's busy lifestyle," said Wendy Davis, R.D., a nutritionist for USApple. "Apples are a handy, healthy snack that can be incorporated into virtually any meal."

"Either eaten out of hand, as slices or sauce, or as a glass of cider or juice, apples are a convenient way to maintain good health and nutrition. And they taste great too," she said.

Apples contain zero fat or cholesterol and have only 80 calories. Apples are also an excellent source of fiber and studies have shown that consuming apples may help fill a person up and slim them down by displacing other foods.

Meanwhile, apples are proven to not only improve nutrition, they could save your life. A study published last month by researchers at Cornell University showed that an apple a day, or more, may prevent breast cancer. Other studies have found that phytochemicals, also called antioxidants, in apples are associated with an overall reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

"Advising Americans to eat more apples and other fruits and vegetables for health is recommended by the scientific community," Davis said.

From the classic Red Delicious or McIntosh, to the Empire, Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp, there are apple varieties to satisfy every taste. U.S. apple growers continue to improve horticultural practices, which has led to even better tasting fruit. Advanced storage technologies allow growers to supply crisp, flavorful apples throughout the year.

Last year, apple growers around the U.S. harvested 221.6 million cartons of apples — about 86 apples per American.

Note: The text of this release can be downloaded from the News Releases section of USApple's Media Web site, at http://www.usapple.org/media/newsreleases/index.cfm. The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state and regional apple associations representing the 7,500 apple growers throughout the country, as well as more than 400 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple's mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.