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Living Well In Yalobusha County

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Apple-A-Day Savings Add Up

By Pamela Redwine

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so it is said.  One small decision, over the course of a year, can make a big dent in calorie savings and that can help ward off excess weight gain and its subsequent health risks.  Apples are widely available – in fast food restaurants, grocery and convenience food stores, and gas stations.

If you take a look at the chart you will see that choosing an apple as a snack instead of a calorie-dense popular snack food like potato chips, cookies, cinnamon rolls, Danish and bagels, you will save not only a significant amount of calories for one time/day but a substantial number over the course of a year.  In the case of a Danish or cinnamon bun, the calories saved can lead to 37 to 43 pounds per year!

Apples are naturally fat free and very low in sodium.  They contain significantly more potassium than sodium, making them an excellent choice to keep blood pressure low.  They are excellent sources of fiber and other nutrients.  And more importantly, they are low on the calorie density scale so you feel full on fewer calories.

Start shopping and experiment with different varieties of apples today!  Keeping them on hand means you are more likely to eat one.

For some fun apple recipes, visit:

– www.bestapples.com  or

– www.foodandhealth.com

Remember to keep your apples low in sugar and fat – eat them out of hand or added to salads, whole grain cereal and yogurt.

Choose An Apple and Save!

• Apple 71Calories

• Chips 150 Calories,

28,835 Annual Savings

• Muffin 300 calories

83,585 Annual Savings

• Cookie 400calories

120,085 Annual Savings

• Bagel 430calories

131,035 Annual Savings

• Cinnamon bun 430calories

131,035 Annual Savings

• Danish 490calories

152,935 Annual Savings

Article Source:  Communicating Food for Health

 

Recipe of the Week:

Apple-Berry Crisp

  • 2 medium cooking apples, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries in light syrup, thawed and undrained
  • 1 cup regular oats
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine apple and lemon juice; toss gently.  Place apple mixture in a 10×6-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with raspberries.

3. Combine oats and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended.  Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over fruit mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until apple is tender and oat mixture is lightly browned.  Yield:  8 servings.

Posted in Herald Columnists

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