The Amazing Apple: Nutritious and Delicious

Apples are a fall favorite for good reason. What’s better than sinking your teeth into a juicy, crisp, satisfying apple? They’re delicious, nutritious and versatile.  

Nutritional Powerhouse  

A small apple with skin has 77 calories and provides 3.6 grams of cholesterol-controlling dietary fiber and about half that amount once peeled. Additionally, apples are rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, and potassium and magnesium, minerals that help control blood pressure.  

How ‘Bout Them Apples?  

The apple varieties available in grocery stores and farm markets nowadays provide lots of options for cooking, baking, or eating straight up. One type isn’t healthier than another, but different varieties have different characteristics.  

• Gala apples have a crisp texture and are mildly sweet, making them great for snacking. They also work well for cooking and baking. 
• Fuji is an all-purpose, crunchy, sweet apple good for snacking, baking and cooking, and a favorite for making applesauce.
• Braeburn apples are tasty when eaten raw and hold their shape during cooking and baking.
• Granny Smith, in all its green glory, is an excellent choice for recipes that need firm and tart apples. 
• Cortland are crispy, tart apples that are resistant to browning when sliced, perfect for fruit trays, salads and charcuterie boards. 
• Jonagold is an excellent all-purpose apple with a taste that ranges from sweet to tart. 

Choose firm apples with clean, smooth skin and good color; avoid bruised or soft fruit.  

Adding Apples to Your Diet 

“Apples make for a healthy, satisfying snack,” says CentraState registered dietitian Caryn Alter, MS, RD. “There are many ways to work them into your daily diet.”  

• Use thinly sliced apples to replace jelly on a peanut butter sandwich. 
• Grate apples into coleslaw. 
• Add chopped apples to pancakes or waffle batter. 
• Dip apples into nonfat or low-fat yogurt for a healthy snack. 
• Make Waldorf salad, a classic American fruit and nut salad served on a bed of lettuce, with nonfat or low-fat vanilla yogurt, apples and walnuts.  

Diabetes-Friendly Low-Sugar Apple Crisp Recipe 

15 min prep time | makes 7 half-cup servings   

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or your favorite baking recipe sugar substitute — monk fruit brown sugar works well)  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 2 tbsp margarine (softened) 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 5 cups peeled and sliced red apples (about 5 apples)  

Instructions:  

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 13X9-inch pan with cooking spray.  
2.  In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients except the apples. Blend with a fork until moistened (mixture should be crumbly).  
3. Layer apples in the pan and sprinkle mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!  

Recipe Source: American Diabetes Association 

LIVE LIFE WELL 

Looking for other ways to take control of your health and well-being? CentraState’s LIVE LIFE WELL℠ program can help with education and support to live your best life, no matter where you are on the health spectrum. Visit LIVE LIFE WELL to learn more.