3 Ways Apples Can Help You Lose Weight

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.

POPSUGAR Photography | Jenny Sugar

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) or pour on four times as much unsweetened applesauce instead (half a cup contains 51 calories). 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. 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.
Two homemade chocolate chip cookies contain 178 calories.
Half a Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate Bar contains 300 calories.

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), drizzle it with one tablespoon of honey (64 calories), 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, and enjoy an even more decadent dessert.