Apples are Good for You! is a brochure-style cookbook that was created by the agricultural branch of the Canadian government in 1942. Canada had been at war since 1939, and the home front many Canadians were focused on doing everything they could to support the nation and their loved ones serving overseas. One way of showing support was to ration food. Certain foodstuffs, such as sugar, butter, and coffee, were distributed by grocers to consumers in controlled amounts. This was done in order to control supply issues and to ensure everyone was getting the food they needed. 

The recipes in this cookbook focus on apples, which was a food that was abundant during the war and, therefore, not rationed. This cookbook provided Canadians with ways to enjoy tasty and sweet apple-based dishes, even when other necessary ingredients were being rationed. The recipes in Apples are Good for You! are conscious of what was available in Canada at the time, and this is reflected in the lists of ingredients. The recipes try not to use rationed products when possible, and focus on using apples as much as possible to create dishes that could be eaten on many different occasions. The appliances and supplies required to make the recipes were fairly standard, such as ovens and stovetops, and would have been found in most homes at the home. Many of the recipes in the cookbook are relatively simple to make, so this cookbook can also be considered very user-friendly.

This cookbook provided numerous benefits to readers. Beyond just giving them creative and simple recipes, the cookbook also helped Canadians enhance their nutritional intake. When food is rationed, it is common to experience nutrient deficiencies, due to changes in the amounts and types of foods you're eating. Apples contain significant amounts of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K, among other nutritional benefits. By consuming recipes that utilize apples, Canadians could stay healthy in wartime, even with rationing recommendations in place. 

The other main benefit of this cookbook is that it helped bolster the economy during the war. Apples are grown primarily in Eastern and Western Canada and in Ontario and Quebec. Apples are Good for You! promotes the purchase of apples, which in turn supports Canadian farmers. Additionally, by buying local products instead of imported fruits from other countries, consumers kept their hard-earned dollars within Canada's borders, which helped to keep the economy afloat. 

The particular format of food marketing that we see in Apples are Good for you! is one that remains popular today. Brochures are especially common for marketing recipes using dairy products and fruits. One organization that relies on brochures for much of its marketing is the Dairy Farmers of Canada. However, in recent years, they have switched to advertising more content on virtual platforms, including their website and social media. Additionally, they make use of television commercials and advertisements on YouTube. The long-standing history of food-related brochures as a marketing technique suggests that Apples are Good for You! was likely a successful venture on the part of the federal Department of Agriculture in terms of disseminating knowledge about cookery and agriculture, and encouraging Canadians to buy local.