Have you heard of the apple diet for weight loss
These brilliant healthy eating hacks for 2022 are bought to you from British Apples and Pears in partnership with nutritionist Rob Hobson.
Balance
Getting enough healthy carbohydrates, fats and fruit and veg in your diet is important to maintain a balanced diet. It is also equally important to ensure you are getting 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day and snacking on an apple a day is one healthy portion towards our recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake.
Portion size
It is also important to control portion sizes, which involves choosing a healthy amount of a certain food. Portion control helps you get the benefits of the nutrients in the food without overeating. It helps us to digest food easier, maintain a healthy weight, stay energised throughout the day and control blood sugar levels.
Snacks
Snacks are also essential for those with diabetes, as small, frequent meals help to keep your blood sugar managed and help to keep you healthy. Whilst eating an apple may seem a sweet treat, the consumption of a whole apple results in a much smaller rise in blood sugar than drinking apple juice. It is also recognised that apples, because they contain polyphenols with antioxidant properties, may help to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Apple Diet for Weight Loss (and hangar)
To deal with hanger, reach for foods and snacks that are healthy and filling to keep you satisfied until your next meal. The Happy Apple Plan states that eating an apple before a meal can aid weight loss. The apple helps to increase the overall fibre content of the meal, and that means you feel full and satisfied for longer, preventing mindless snacking between meals. Apples have an abundance of nutrients and are low in calories, made up of 86% water, helping to curb hunger so you can achieve those New Year’s health targets.
The benefits of an apple diet for weight loss
As a versatile fruit, apples can be enjoyed as tasty snack, either on their own, with peanut butter or even cheese, as well as incorporated into a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes for all the family.
Keep the skin on apples when you’re eating them. Apples are rich in polyphenol compounds that act as antioxidants, protecting the body from damage caused by excess free radicals. Both the skin and flesh of apples have been shown to contain high amounts of the polyphenols, specifically flavonoid which is found in the skin.
Pears can also be consumed alone as a healthy snack or as part of a meal. You could try a simple, yet delicious grilled mackerel and pear salad recipe, served with sliced fennel, lemon juice, watercress, pumpkin seeds and creme fraiche. Or for those looking for a morning pick me up, why not start your day with a delicious bowl of yoghurt, topped with sliced pear and a dash of honey for the perfect flavour combination.
For all recipe inspiration for healthy eating this year, visit greatbritishapples.co.uk/#recipes
Extra apple diet for weight loss tips
- Add fruits such as apples to a casserole or dried fruits such as sultana, apricots and prunes to tagines and curries. Sliced fruit such as apples on top of yoghurt – grated apple is also great on top of porridge or used to make soaked oats. Fruit puddings are a tasty way to get more fruit into your diet such as a healthy apple and pear crumble. Try sliced apples or pears with cheese and crackers as a snack – lower calorie and sat fat cheeses include feta, cottage or low fat cream cheese.
- Always think ‘just add one more’ to your meal. This is so simple to do and you just need to be mindful of it and always remember ‘just add one more’ when you are preparing a meal. A serving includes all fruits and vegetables, but beans and pulses also count although only as one of your daily servings.
