Did you know that Fall is one of the healthiest times of the year to cook and eat? With apples in season, you can make any number of delicious and super healthy recipes! Apples are of course a healthy choice for the plain fact that they are fruit, but when we really looked into the benefits of eating apples we were surprised to find that one medium sized apple has less than 100 calories and is free of fat, sodium and cholesterol. They also contain ursolic acid (known to fight obesity) and anti-oxidants, and can also reduce your risk of cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Apples really do keep the doctor away!
What goes well with apples? Cinnamon! Cinnamon is widely known for its health benefits as well. One tablespoon of Cinnamon contains 0g of fat, 4g of fiber, 68% magnesium, 4% iron and 3% Vitamin K. It also helps to fight diabetes and lowers your risk of cancer, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Cinnamon is heart healthy, helps prevent and cure candida, has skin benefits, is an allergy fighter, has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and freshens your breath to boot!
The recipe below is a delicious and SUPER easy recipe for baked apples with cinnamon using your microwave! Literally 3 minutes and you have perfectly portioned slice of hot apple pie!
We made a few really simple swaps and lowered the calories, fat and saturated fat that can come from using full-fat butter, brown sugar and maple syrup.
Just using margarine, a brown sugar blend substitute, and sugar free maple syrup, we saved 46 calories, 5 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat! This might not seem like a lot, but when you are trying to lose weight, these small choices add up. We’ve learned if you’re selective and consistent with your choice of ingredients in all things you cook, you stand a better chance of losing weight because you’re building good habits as you go.
1 Apple (we recommend Honey Crisp)
1 tsp Margarine
2 tbsp Granola
1 tsp Brown Sugar blend (such as Splenda)
¼ tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Maple Syrup, sugar free
1. Core the apple making a cavity, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the apple.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and combine.
3. Spoon the filling into the cavity of the apple.
4. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover.
5. Heat on HIGH for 3 minutes or until the apple is fork tender.
Kevin’s Tip – The filling may spill over the sides of the apple when cooking. Make sure you use a bowl with sides that come up high around the apple. You may have to spoon it back in but it still tastes great!
Use this recipe for a post-Thanksgiving dessert this year in lieu of a whole apple pie. It makes individual servings for easy portion control, and doesn’t leave you with half of a left-over pie to tempt you further into the weekend.
Yields: 1 Apple
Serving Size: 1 Apple
Calories 190 | Fat 3g | Saturated Fat 1g | Carbs 39g | Fiber 6g | Sugar 28g | Protein 2g