There are hundreds and thousands of varieties of apples, but which one is the healthiest? While doing my research, it became clear that one apple is not superior to another, but they are all delicious, especially the red delicious. Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady are among the healthiest, but they are not known to be low in calories and high in fiber. So, which one do you choose?
- Apples are great for heart health. They are high in fiber which helps improve cholesterol levels
- A medium apple can fill you up for under 100 calories, making it a great snack for weight loss
- The fiber in apples can also aid in digestion
- Because of the apples' soluble fiber, apples are able to slow the absorption of sugar into the blood steam and may improve blood sugar levels, this helps lower your odds of developing type 2 diabetes
Recipes:
Savory Baked Apples (Myrecipes.com)
- 2/3 cup Fat-Free, lower-sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/3 cup uncooked Brown Rice
- 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1/3 cup Apple Cider
- 4 large Rome Apples, cored
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Butter, melted and divided
- 1 4-ounce link sweet Italian Sausage
- 3/4 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion
- 1/3 cup finely chopped Carrot
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground Red Pepper
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped Walnuts, toasted
- 3 tablespoons minced Green Onions
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed Sage
- 1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Combine cranberries and cider in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add mixture to rice.
- Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out centers of apples, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell, and chop apple flesh. Brush the inside of apples with 1 tablespoon butter. Place apples on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until just tender.
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan; drain. Wipe skillet, and melt remaining butter in pan. Add chopped apple, yellow onion, and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sausage, onion mixture, walnuts, and next 3 ingredients (through sage) to rice; toss. Divide rice mixture evenly among apples; top with cheese. Broil for 5 minutes or until golden.
Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices (eatingwell.com)
- 4 medium Honeycrisp Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine Honeycrisp apples, Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl; stir until the apples are fully coated. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and stir the mixture. Bake, uncovered, until the apples are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Healthy Apple Crisp (thecleaneatingcouple.com)
- 4 cups Apples, peeled and sliced, Honeycrisp work best
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
Crisp Topping:
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
- 1/3 cup Pecans, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a greased 8×8 baking dish
- Peel + cut apple slices into ¼ inch thick slices.
- Melt coconut oil. Toss apples with coconut oil, cinnamon + ginger. Set aside.
- Mix together crisp topping.
- Pour apples into bottom of the baking dish. Layer crisp topping evenly on top of apples.
- Cover apple crisp with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 mins. After 20 minutes, remove cover and bake for another 10-20 minutes until apples are fork tender and crisp topping is golden brown.
