Date published
January 3, 2024
Diving into apple nutrition facts reveals why the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has stood the test of time. Apples aren’t just a sweet snack—they are nutritional powerhouses packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre. This blog post will explore the nutritional content of apples, including the average calories in an apple, and discuss how they can positively impact our health.
A closer look at apple nutrition facts shows why these fruits are so beneficial to our health:
Apples are a valuable source of several vitamins and minerals. They provide vitamin C, essential for immune function and skin health, and contain traces of vitamin A, vitamin K, and various B vitamins. In terms of minerals, apples offer potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.
A key component of apples is their dietary fibre. Fibre helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep our hunger and blood sugar in check. The soluble fibre in apples, like pectin, is known to help lower cholesterol levels, while insoluble fibre aids digestion.
Typically, an average medium-sized apple contains about 95 calories, making it a low-calorie snack rich in nutrients. Apples also come packed with zero grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 25 grams of carbs, 19 grams of naturally occurring sugar, and 3 grams of fibre. All in all, eating a fresh, whole apple is the healthiest and most beneficial way to enjoy them.
Apples are known to help keep our bodies healthy in many ways, including:
Heart Health: Apples have been proven to contribute to heart health, lowering our cholesterol and the risk of heart disease due to their fibre and polyphenol content.
Weight Management: With only roughly 95 calories in an apple and its high fibre content, apples are a satisfying snack that can keep us energised and fuelled in a healthy way.
Gut Health: The dietary fibre (pectin) in apples feeds beneficial gut bacteria by acting as a prebiotic in your microbiome, promoting gut health.
Diabetes Prevention: The polyphenols in apples help regulate blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. In a women’s health study, participants who ate one or more apples a day had a 28% lower risk of the disease.
Curious if apples pass with your dietary restrictions? Let’s take a look at some of the most common diets to see if you’re good to go.
Although apples are not typically keto-friendly due to their carbohydrate content, certain varieties like Granny Smith, which have fewer calories and sugars, can be included in moderation. For comparison, an average apple has 25 grams of carbs, but a Granny Smith has roughly 14 grams of carbs. They also carry roughly half the amount of calories in comparison to other sugar-rich apples.
Given that apples are high in fructose and sorbitol, they might not be suitable for a low FODMAP diet, as they can exacerbate symptoms in individuals with IBS. That said, everyone’s body is different—and so it’s best to consult your doctor or nutritionist when determining whether apples may be harmful for your IBS.
With their natural, unprocessed form and low calorie count, apples fit perfectly into gluten-free, vegan, and paleo diets. We love an accessible snack!
Our favourite way to eat apples? With a little peanut butter on the side, of course! We hope you learned something new about the nutritional benefits of apples today. If you’re looking for Calgary’s best variety of apples, from Macintosh to Gala, Pink Lady to Granny Smith and more—look no further than your local Calgary Co-op or shop online today.