An apple a day may or may not keep the doctor away, but it sure can help you see results on the scale. Make these apple-inspired choices throughout your day and see how this fruit can help you slim down.
Breakfast: Low-Calorie Swap
Oatmeal for breakfast is an excellent choice. You can sweeten your bowl of oats with maple syrup (one eighth of a cup is 100 calories [1]) or pour on four times as much unsweetened applesauce instead (half a cup contains 51 calories [2]). Make this switch for a whole week of breakfasts, and you'll not only save 343 calories, but you'll also gain 9.1 grams of filling fiber.
Morning or Afternoon Snack: Fill Up on Fiber to Prevent Mindless Snacking
Full of flavor, apples are also great sources of hunger-satiating fiber. Snack on one large apple (with the skin) for 120 calories, and you'll consume 5.5 grams of fiber [3]. The high water content and amazing amount of fiber will keep you full until your next meal, curbing hunger and preventing the temptation to reach for a high-calorie nibble.
Dessert: Skip the Calorie Bombs
Half a cup of chocolate ice cream contains 250 calories [5].
Two homemade chocolate chip cookies contain 178 calories [6].
Half a Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate Bar contains 300 calories [7].
Holy calories! After-dinner treats can really add up if you make a habit of indulging every night, so save your calories and enjoy a naturally sweet treat instead. Slice a small apple (80 calories [8]), drizzle it with one tablespoon of honey (64 calories [9]), and sprinkle on cinnamon for a total of 144 calories. Or, remove the core from a raw apple, stuff it with a few chopped walnuts and raisins, drizzle with a touch of maple syrup, pop it in the oven [10], and enjoy an even more decadent dessert.