VIENNA, Va. – Hey, kids … looking for a good "in" with Santa this holiday season? Leave him a delicious, yet nutritious, snack on Christmas Eve — an apple. In fact, a survey of kids recently showed 59 percent think an apple is the healthiest choice for Santa's snack.

Kids were asked to select the most nutritious snack Santa could eat to keep his energy up as he delivers presents all over the world and, resoundingly, they said apples are the healthiest snack option for their most anticipated Christmas visitor. The survey was conducted by the U.S. Apple Association (USApple) on Kaboose.com, the largest independently operated children-and-family Web property.

This is good news to Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., and president of the nonprofit Produce for Better Health Foundation.

"Santa and other adults and children can save themselves extra pounds by snacking on fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, instead of less nutritious treats," says Pivonka. "Apples are a convenient way to get the fruit you need every day for your better health."

More than two-thirds (79 percent) of the young respondents recognize the best way to stay healthy over the holidays is to combine exercise with a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables. However, the survey showed nutrition is not the only reason kids keep reaching for apples. While some kids can cite one specific reason why they love apples, overall, six in ten said they loved apples for all their great attributes — sweetness, crunchiness, and nutritional value.

"Kids have always been big fans of apples, and we're happy to learn they know apples are a key part of healthy holiday eating," says Julia Daly, nutrition communications specialist at the U.S. Apple Association. "The variety of colors and flavors are appealing to children, and they taste so good and sweet, kids are more satisfied after eating an apple than other, less healthy snacks."

As color goes, kids are pressed to narrow Santa's favorite to a single color. More than half of the children surveyed (51 percent) said they thought Santa would like red, yellow and green apples on Christmas Eve — red to match his suit, green to match the tree, and yellow to match Santa's belt buckle. Fortunately, apples are abundant in a wide range of colors and varieties, so Santa can have them all.

Recent research suggests kids have good reason to turn to apples for their better health. In September, researchers at the National Public Health Institute in Finland released a study finding that apples and apple nutrients keep the doctor away by reducing the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes and asthma. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

SANTA Guidelines for Healthy Holiday Eating

To munch healthfully this holiday season and all year long, USApple recommends following SANTA's healthful guidelines:

• Stick with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid for healthy eating advice — including at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day
• Add variety to your diet and spice to your life by eating a variety of foods each day
• Nothing is off limits — just eat less of some foods and more fruits and vegetables
• Take changing your eating patterns a day at a time, and you will build healthful habits for a lifetime
• Above all, enjoy eating! Food that is good for you can taste good, too

Note to Editors: For photography to accompany this information, visit the Image Library in U.S. Apple Association's Media Web site at www.usapple.org, or contact USApple for a copy of our creative support CD-ROM featuring high-resolution digital images of the best photos from USApple's library. For more information about the survey, Kaboose.com, or to set up an interview with Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., contact Sun Dee Mills at (816) 512-2326. For more information on apples and apple products, visit the U.S. Apple Association's Web site at www.usapple.org.

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 nation's 9,000 apple growers, as well as 450 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.