7 Healthy Apple Recipes for the Fall Season
Angela Jenkins
| 3 min read
If you have read any of my previous blogs, you should know that Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the smells, the temperature change, the colors, homemade cooking and yes, even football. My family and I go to the apple orchard and get our apples and pumpkins, which is one of my favorite family traditions of the year.
I made my first apple pie of the season this week. I have to admit – it wasn’t a low-fat, low-calorie version. Having three weeks to go in my pregnancy, I had to abide by my cravings, which I have little control over at this point. It was delicious and a nice treat. The great thing is that there are healthier options that are available so you can indulge without the guilt.
Use This, Not That
Fall represents apple orchards where we go and pick fresh apples. There are so many great apple recipes that can be made from these healthy fruits. How they are used makes a difference in terms of how healthy a recipe may or may not be.
If you are baking, remember these substitution tips (most recipes will note if substitutions shouldn’t be made for a specific recipe):
- Egg whites or egg substitute
- Non-fat buttermilk
- Reduced calorie butter or margarine
- Light brown sugar
- Whole wheat flour
- Use one pie crust instead of two
Apples All Around Us
I enjoy making apple pie in the Fall. Here are my apple pie recipe ingredients:
- 1 Pillsbury pie crust (any pie crust will do)
- 6 large apples (I use Gala)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 TBSP flour
- ¾ TBSP cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- Lemon juice from 2 lemon wedges (optional)
Directions:
- Peel, slice and cut apples into same size pieces
- Spray lemon juice over apples
- Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg
- Mix apples with sugar combination
- Lightly spray bottom of pie pan with nonstick spray
- Pour in apple mix
- Add pie crust on the top, make air holes around and in the middle of pie
- Bake at 450 degrees for 40-45 minutes
- Let cool for 45-60 minutes (maybe longer depending on how you like to eat it)
Serving size: 1/8 of pie Calories per serving: 270 (you can probably save some calories by making a homemade pie crust making baking substitutions mentioned above. But, I am not that patient nor am I Martha Stewart.)
Here are some other healthier apple recipes (pay attention to the serving sizes) from Eating Well:
Do you have a favorite low-calorie, healthy apple recipe? Here is a listing of Apple Orchards in Michigan if you want to check out a new one or start a family tradition of your own.
Resources: Calorie Count Photo credit: meghanmccarthy