Apples Vs. Guavas: Which Are More Nutritious?

Surely, the apple is the ultimate fruit of America. From mom's apple pie to McDonald's famous Hot Apple Pie, there are tons of iconic and amazing ways to cook with apples. Though many people have been eating it wrong all along, few fruits can offer the versatility and sheer deliciousness apples can – and that's before the delights of homemade applesauce enter the equation.

Meanwhile, the humble guava – either the pink or the white variety – might not be quite as popular as the apple, but the sweet and juicy tropical fruit has been slowly building its stateside name as a go-to ingredient in smoothies and fruity snacks. This, of course, is no surprise, seeing as the fruit is so very, very healthy that people should definitely be eating more guava. 

Perhaps the time has come for guava to challenge the reigning champion. Apples versus guavas – let's take a look at which are more nutritious. 

A comparison between the two fruits, courtesy of FoodStruct, found that the guava is indeed mightier than the apple, nutrition-wise. While apples are lower in sodium than guavas, guavas have less sugar and more protein, carbs, and fats. What's more, guavas also contain more minerals, and they beat apples on each and every vitamin front, as well. Apples are also way worse allergens than guavas.

However, that's not to say that you should completely eschew apples. Because while guavas beat them on most nutrition fronts, an apple a day continues to have a good shot at keeping the doctor away. Apples still contain plenty of the good stuff, just not quite as much as their exotic opponent. Besides, both apples and guavas have plenty of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and other beneficial effects, and research indicates that they even have anti-cancer properties. So, if you're going for nutritients per pound, guava is the better choice – but if you like your apples, there's no need to make the old champ abdicate the throne quite yet.