Apple A Day Savings Add Up!

It's not too late to celebrate Apple Month! We’ve all heard about the effects of an apple a day on the proximity of doctors, but did you ever stop to think about the actual ramifications of eating an apple a day? This single small decision, over the course of a year, can help you reduce calorie consumption, ward off excess weight, and reduce your health risks.You see, apples are naturally fat-free and are very low in sodium. They contain way more potassium than sodium, which makes them an excellent choice when you need to keep your blood pressure low. They are also excellent sources of fiber, antioxidants, and vital nutrients like vitamin C. In addition to all these great qualities, apples are low on the calorie density scale, yet high on the satiety scale, which means that you will feel full when you eat one, yet you are consuming fewer calories.If you take a look at the chart in this post, you will see that choosing an apple as a snack, instead of other, more calorie-dense snack foods, will help you save a significant number of calories over the course of a year. In fact, substituting an apple for a Danish could save you from gaining 37-43 extra pounds in that year.Pick up a few different varieties of apples today! After all, keeping them on hand means that you are more likely to actually eat them.Not sure where to start? Try a plain, crisp apple. For some fun apple recipes, visit http://www.foodandhealth.com/recipes.php or check out the creative apple dessert below. Just remember to keep your apple-tastic creations low in calories and fat.Apple PizzaIngredients:

• 10 ounces of pizza dough, rolled flat (Looking for a recipe? Try this one!)
• 3 apples, peeled, cored & sliced
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vanilla pudding
• 4 tsp caramel sauce
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Prebake pizza crust until dough is firm but not golden, about 8 minutes.
• Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar.
• Spread vanilla pudding over pizza crust. Spread apples evenly over the pizza crust.
• Bake until apples are soft and crust is golden, about 8 minutes.
• Cut into 8 wedges and serve each piece with fresh blueberries; drizzle each piece of pizza with 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce.

How do you like them apples? If you'd like more apple resources, check out the options in our Nutrition Education Store.