The Healthiest Ways You Can Actually Snack On Apples
Apples consistently rank as one of the most produced and consumed fruits in the world. They're available year-round in most places because they're cultivated all over the world. They're inexpensive, conveniently portable, and packed with nutrients.
A versatile fruit, there are over 7,500 different varieties of apples, each with differing flavors, textures, and uses. There are also several ways you can enjoy them, from baking with them, snacking on them whole, or adding them to savory recipes.
Nutritional benefits of apples
In addition to their tastiness and culinary variety, apples are extremely nutritious. They're a great source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. They've been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, better weight management, and may even help prevent cancer. Pectin, a type of fiber found in apples, acts as a prebiotic and has been shown to encourage the growth of good bacteria in your gut and help with digestive diseases. However, not all types of apple preparation are created equal when it comes to reaping the nutritional benefits.
Eat them whole
Half of the fruit's fiber and most of its antioxidants are actually found in the skin, so to get the most out of an apple, snack on it with the skin on. It's also the part of the apple that's responsible for its delightful crispiness and imparts much of the flavor.
Add to lunches
An excellent way to enjoy apples is to slice them into your lunch. When added to salads, they pair well with a wide variety of flavors, from kale and onions to olives and balsamic vinaigrette. You can even throw them into a grilled cheese sandwich as their fiber content helps stabilize the glucose spikes you'd be getting from the refined carbs.
Pair them with protein
Popular ways of consuming apples include smearing them with peanut butter, enjoying them with cheese, or mixing them into yogurt. Combining them with protein helps you feel fuller longer and stabilizes blood sugar spikes you may otherwise get from the fruit's natural sugars. The healthy fats in these protein sources also contribute to a healthy heart by reducing bad cholesterol in your bloodstream.
Add to low-sugar baked goods
Apples add a lot of natural sweetness and moisture to baked goods. Adding them to muffins, pies, and cakes allows you to drastically cut the added sugar content as apples can act as an alternative sweetener. More than just being a tasty addition, apples can be the main star of the dessert, baked whole with some immune-boosting spices like cinnamon and ginger, a little butter, and brown sugar.
Less healthy ways of eating apples
It's probably obvious that drowning your apples in caramel sauce isn't the healthiest way to consume them. Overdoing it on extras like cream cheese or sweetened peanut butter and negating the benefits apples have to offer. Additionally, using them in baked goods without reducing the sugar content will detract from the fruit's nutrition. Further, juicing apples strips them of their fiber, only delivering the sugar which results in blood sugar spikes, crashes, and mood swings.
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