By now, most of you are probably sipping on pumpkin spice lattes and eating whatever pumpkin-flavored foods you can find at the grocery store. While pumpkin can be pretty healthy, you're missing out on an even more beneficial fall fruit: apples. Apples are full of nutritional benefits, and you know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
While one can of pumpkin puree can come in at around 150 calories, an apple is only 95 calories on average. Apples are also a great source of fiber, making them a sweet, filling snack that'll do you more good than a slice of pumpkin pie. Because of the fiber in apples, they satisfy hunger for only a few calories, promoting weight loss.
Apples contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that our super beneficial to our health as well. Vitamin C is an immune boosting vitamin, and apples contain up to 14% of the daily value. They also have a large amount of antioxidants, helping to decrease the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
Now that you know all the great benefits of apples, check out the recipes below to incorporate them into your daily diet.
Breakfast
There's nothing like starting off the day with fresh, warm pancakes drizzled in sweet maple syrup. Take your pancakes up a notch by incorporating juicy, caramelized apples into a Dutch-style pancake. Load it up with fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, along with pools of maple syrup and powdered sugar. This sweet breakfast is bound to make your day 100% better.
This is probably one of the easiest things you could ever make for breakfast. It takes five minutes and uses only an apple, cinnamon, and some raisins. Simply core an apple and fill it with the cinnamon and raisins (or craisins if you want something a bit sweeter), then microwave for three minutes. This recipe is perfect for those days when you "accidentally" sleep in past your alarm.
Your morning coffee is in need of a partner with a little extra spice, aka this apple spice cake. Made in a mug, it takes only two minutes to make and contains almost every fall spice under the sun, giving it a ton of flavor. This cake could replace your morning coffee, as it contains espresso powder and apples, which contain natural energy from fructose. Cake or coffee? I think we all know the answer to this one.
Apple Peanut Butter Honey Toast
Forget avocado toast, this apple peanut butter honey toast is the true champ of quick, easy, and satisfying breakfasts. Simply spread an even layer of peanut butter, or another nut butter of your choosing, on warm toast, then layer with thinly sliced apples. Finish with a sweet layer of drizzled honey and a handful of almonds for some extra crunch. Altogether this breakfast delivers a satisfying amount of protein, carbs, and fruit that will keep you going all morning.
Cinnamon Apple and Peanut Butter Breakfast Quinoa
If you thought quinoa was only for savory dishes, think again. Think of this breakfast quinoa as an alternative to oatmeal, loaded with apples, peanut butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. It's the perfect combination of sweet goods to have you waking up early just to eat it.
Snacks
3-Ingredient Healthy Apple Chips
If you're like me, you get crazy hungry several times throughout the day. You could reach for a bag of greasy potato chips that will leave you feeling bloated and unsatisfied, or you could make these healthy, delicious apple chips. All they require are your favorite type of apple, sliced into thin strips, some cinnamon, and an hour in the oven. Served with this creamy fruit dip, they'll become your new obsession.
Cinnamon apple fries may or may not be just as bad for you as actual fries, but if you're going to eat any type of fries it should definitely be these. Sliced granny smith apples are coated in a cinnamon batter, then fried until perfectly crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. These fries are best when dipped in whipped vanilla coconut cream, because a fry is only as good as the dipping sauce.
Loaded Peanut Butter Apple Slices
My favorite snack as a child was always sliced apples with peanut butter, which I still continue to eat now that I'm in college because it's quick, healthy, and easy to take on the go. But college is all about experimenting, so take your classic snack to the next level by loading up your apple slices with anything from dried fruit to granola to chocolate chips, and anything else your imagination comes up with.
Lunch/Dinner
This is a quick and easy hearty fall dinner that's full of superfoods like kale, chickpeas, and, of course, apples. It's a little bit of sweet and a little bit of spicy, and all around delicious. Whip up extra and take it for lunch on busy days and prepare to be the healthiest kid on campus.
Mango Curry Grilled Chicken Salad
Make this fresh take on chicken salad to make all your friends mad jealous at lunchtime. It's made with Greek yogurt, chopped apples, roasted peanuts, mango chutney from Trader Joe's, and some curry powder for a little kick. The Greek yogurt base makes this a lot healthier than your traditional mayo-laden chicken salad. Enjoy by itself, with quinoa, on Ezekiel bread, or in lettuce cups if you're watching your carbs.
Bacon, Apple, and Brie Sandwich
Take your below-average ham and cheese sandwich and throw it in the trash, because this is the only acceptable sandwich you should be eating this season. Full of crispy bacon, hearty cheese, and sweet apples, it's a delicious combination that you're sure not to get tired of. Grill the sandwich for an even better experience of warm, melted cheese, and throw on some spinach for your daily intake of greens.
Chickpea, Sweet Potato, and Apple Farro Salad
This colorful salad incorporates not just one, but four superfoods for a delicious lunch or dinner that will leave you feeling healthy AF. Farro is a chewy grain that's almost like oatmeal's savory cousin. Trader Joe's brand of farro comes together in just 10 minutes, and using pre-cubed sweet potatoes, chopped apples, and canned chickpeas will make this meal come together in a flash. Which is a blessing because you're definitely going to devour this right away.
Apple, Goat Cheese, and Honey Quesadilla
Sure, you could whip up a classic, boring cheese quesadilla and call it a day, or you can get fancy with this apple, goat cheese, and honey quesadilla that's creamy, tart, and just the right amount of sweet. Why have savory when you can have sweet?
Dessert
I hope you saved room for dessert, because this apple tart will knock your socks off. Sliced apples are coated in cinnamon and sugar then baked into a flaky puff pastry. It's way healthier than a chocolate-filled cake, yet still delivers the same satisfying sweetness. You're going to want to be baking this apple tart all fall long.
This dip is warm, sugary, and full of sweet, soft apples that's everything you could every want on a cool fall night. As a bonus, it comes together in less than 10 minutes, so it can warm you up right away. Serve the dip with homemade cinnamon sugar crisps made with pre-made pie crisps to really seal the deal.
Imagine a warm, fried funnel cake filled with cinnamon sugar-coated apples and you'll see these delectable fried apple rings. The funnel cake coating is made with Greek yogurt, which makes this dessert healthy right? So don't feel bad dipping them in some gooey caramel. Life's all about balance, after all.
Apple Compote-Filled Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting and Mini Latkes
This one's a mouthful, both literally and figuratively. Vanilla cupcakes are filled with a warm apple compote, then topped with creamy frosting and mini latkes. You might think it's weird to add latkes, which are made from potatoes, onto a cupcake, but somehow it works. Each bites results in a mixture of gooey apples, freshly baked cake, creamy frosting, and crunchy latkes, giving your tastebuds an experience that's out of this world.