When the fall season comes around, the leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder and the apples are being picked. With the leaves on the ground and a cool breeze blowing through the trees, the only snack on my mind is a nice juicy apple. There is a debate, though between if apples are the best fall food or if a pumpkin is. This, I know, is absurd because the apple is the obvious choice but if you disagree, just wait to read what I have to say about the topic.

Some people would try to argue that pumpkins, instead of apples, are the best fall food, but they would be wrong. Yes, pumpkins are great but really only for Halloween. People have pumpkins out on their front porch for maybe a week and then they become rotten and disgusting. Sure it’s fun to carve them, but that is for only one day out of the whole fall season. And maybe some people who actually enjoy pumpkin spice lattes will say different, but come on, pumpkins are way too overrated and pointless. With apples, they are great all season long (and even in seasons after that).

The apple has health benefits that other fall food such as the pumpkin do not. There’s the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” while it may not be entirely accurate, apples do contain nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium and potassium. All of these are beneficial to our overall well-being. I know that when I want a quick burst of nutrients in my diet, I immediately grab an apple from my kitchen. Why would anyone even think of eating a pumpkin?

Not only is there nutritional value in eating apples, but you can also incorporate it into everyday meals. There are the classics, apple pie and applesauce, but also many others like apple bundt cake and apple pie muffins, which are both amazing desserts. There are even options for the health conscious people too: chickpea Waldorf salad, apple oatmeal cookies and much more. Even though they are healthy, they still burst with flavor. My personal favorite is the glazed apple fritters; they have such a great taste that leave me wanting more.

Before people make all the delicious foods, they first need to get the apples, and what better way to get apples than to go apple-picking with friends and family? At apple orchards, like Big Red, customers pay for one or more plastic bags that you can fill to the max with apples. Then you take a miniature hay ride over to the fields, and when you get to the apple trees, you can pick however many you want until you to fill your bag. Let’s not forget about the staple item of fall: apple cider. When you are done with apple-picking and your bag is full to overflowing, you can sit down and relax with a nice cup of apple cider. This is my idea of a perfect fall day.

Apples are great to the core and nothing else even compares. My argument shows that apples are the far better option for all of your fall activities. Grab your friends, go pick some apples, make an apple entree that you enjoy and have fun.