How Do You Like Them Apples?
There are only 4 fruits listed as allowable on the Pounds and Inches Away Plan – an apple, an orange, ½ grapefruit or a handful of strawberries. Since fall, apple season, is upon us, let’s talk about apples. I’ve heard a bit of complaining over the years from dieters who say that they only have those 4 fruits to choose from and they’re getting soooo tired of eating apples. But there are soooo many different types of apples (over 7,000 varieties) in the world today and varieties are different enough from one another that it can seem as if you are eating a different fruit altogether.
Additionally, even while on the low-calorie phase of the diet, there are 3 different ways to prepare an apple. You can eat it raw (my favorite since whole and uncooked is best nutrient-wise) or, for a change of pace, you can either make applesauce or slice and bake an apple with a little stevia and cinnamon sprinkled on top (yum!).
Below are lists of the 10 most popular apple varieties in the U.S. that are used for eating raw, making applesauce and baking. It is the texture and flavor of an apple that makes it better suited for one purpose or another. A sweet, juicy, less-firm apple is perfect for making applesauce while a firm apple is better for baking since it will maintain its form in the oven. As for snacking on a raw apple, personal preference is the key. My 12-year-old son likes Granny Smith apples, which are very tart and firm, while my 14-year-old daughter prefers Honeycrisp, a very sweet, crispy apple. I like ‘em all; it just depends what mood I’m in.
10 Most Popular Apples for Eating Raw: Braeburn, Cameo, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Johnagold, McIntosh.
10 Most Popular Apples for Making Applesauce: Cameo, Cortland, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Johnagold, McIntosh, Pink Lady, Stayman.
10 Most Popular Apples for Baking: Baldwin, Cameo, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Idared, Johnagold, Johnathan, Rome Beauty.
In case you are not familiar with these varieties, here is a short description of each.
Baldwin – sweet, crisp
Braeburn – both sweet and tart, crisp
Cameo – sweet, crisp, juicy
Cortland – sweet, crisp; doesn’t brown quickly
Empire – sweet, crisp, firm
Fuji – sweet, crisp, juicy
Golden Delicious – sweet, juicy, best all purpose
Granny Smith – tart, crisp, juicy
Honeycrisp – sweet, crisp
Idared – sweet and tart, crisp, firm
Johnagold – both sweet and tart
Johnathan – sweet and tart
McIntosh – sweet, juicy, less firm
Pink Lady – tart/sweet, crisp
Rome Beauty – sweet, firm
Stayman – sweet and tart, juicy
Even though you’re probably really psyched now to try different varieties of apples along with the different methods of preparing them (oh, the many possibilities…), please don’t forget about those other 3 fruits. Keep in mind that that participants are encouraged to vary their selection of fruits and vegetables each day in order to get that much needed variety of vitamins and nutrients while on the low-calorie phase of the Pounds and Inches Away Program.
