Many people want to lose weight quickly and are looking for diets that promise fast results. One idea that comes up often is eating only one type of food, such as only apples. The thinking is that limiting your diet to just apples will lead to a severe calorie deficit and rapid weight loss. However, the reality is more complex, and there are both potential benefits and drawbacks to an all-apple diet.
How Apples Affect Weight Loss
Apples are a low-calorie, high-fiber fruit that can be part of a healthy weight loss diet. Here are some of the ways apples can influence weight:
Low Calorie Density
One medium apple contains about 95 calories, meaning you can eat a lot of them without consuming too many calories. Replacing higher calorie foods with apples can help create a calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
High in Fiber
One medium apple provides 4.4 grams of fiber, which is about 18% of the recommended daily amount. Fiber promotes feelings of fullness and can help reduce calorie intake. It also supports digestive and heart health.
Nutritious
Apples contain vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. Choosing nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods like apples over empty-calorie junk foods supports weight loss. Apples are also fat-free and relatively low carb.
Crunchy and Water-Rich
The crunchiness and high water content of apples can promote chewing and saliva production. This leads to increased feelings of fullness compared to soft or dried foods. The water adds weight and volume without additional calories.
Natural Sweetness
The natural sugars in apples provide sweetness without added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup. This allows satisfaction of a sweet tooth without excessive calorie intake that can inhibit weight loss.
Potential Drawbacks of an All-Apple Diet
While apples offer many benefits, exclusively eating apples long-term is very restrictive and presents some risks:
Extreme Calorie Restriction
The average medium apple has around 95 calories. Eating only apples would provide about 475 calories if you ate 5 apples per day. This extreme calorie deficit can lead to fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and loss of muscle mass.
Lack of Protein
Each apple has only 0.5 grams of protein. Consuming very little protein for a long time can cause muscle breakdown and a slowed metabolism, hindering weight loss in the long-term. Most dietary guidelines recommend getting 10-35% of your daily calories from protein.
Missing Out on Other Nutrients
Although apples are nutritious, they do not provide adequate amounts of all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and other compounds your body needs. A varied diet is required to obtain a full spectrum of nutrients for optimal health.
High Sugar Intake If Juicing
Apple juice contains much less fiber than whole apples. Drinking only apple juice can spike blood sugar levels due to the high sugar and low fiber content.
Boredom
Only allowing yourself to eat apples every day can get very monotonous, making the diet hard to stick to over time. Dietary boredom and lack of variety often lead to binges on other foods.
Disrupts Gut Bacteria
Your gut bacteria thrive on a diversity of plant fibers. An all-apple diet cannot provide enough variety to feed the thousands of bacterial species that live in your intestines. This can disrupt your gut microbiome.
An Example 1-Day Meal Plan on an All-Apple Diet
If you did want to try an all-apple diet, here is an example of what a single day might look like:
Breakfast
– 2 medium apples sliced with 1 Tbsp peanut butter
Snack
– 1 medium apple
– 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
Lunch
– Large apple salad – 4 cups chopped apples, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Snack
– 1 medium apple
– 20 almonds
Dinner
– Apple “stir fry” – 2 cups chopped apples, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp almond butter, sautéed
– Side salad with 2 cups lettuce, 1/4 cup apple slices, 1 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar dressing
Dessert
– 1 baked apple stuffed with 1 Tbsp almond butter and cinnamon
This provides around 1600 calories per day, but keep in mind it would be difficult to sustain this long-term. Make sure to drink plenty of water as well.
Healthy Ways to Actually Incorporate More Apples into Your Diet
While an all-apple diet is too restrictive for most people, there are many healthy ways to eat more apples and promote weight loss:
– Have an apple for a snack throughout the day
– Slice apples into salads or pancake/waffle toppings
– Cook apples into oatmeal, overnight oats or chia puddings
– Drink apple cider vinegar before meals to reduce appetite
– Roast apple slices coated in cinnamon for a healthy dessert
– Add diced apples to yogurt or cottage cheese
– Make a turkey or almond butter sandwich with sliced apples
– Puree apples into hummus, sauces, dressings or smoothies
– Bake apples and stuff with nuts, oats, cinnamon and nut butter
– Drink unsweetened apple sauce blended with milk and cinnamon
Should You Try an All-Apple Diet?
Pros
– Promotes calorie deficit for weight loss
– Apples are nutritious and high in fiber
– Naturally sweet to satisfy cravings
– Apples are inexpensive and widely available
Cons
– Too low in calories long-term
– Lack of protein, nutrients, and variety
– High sugar if only drinking juice
– Difficult to sustain long-term
– Can disrupt gut bacteria
The Verdict
While eating only apples may lead to short-term weight loss, it is an extreme diet lacking in too many nutrients to be a sustainable solution. Any initial weight loss would likely be mostly water weight that would be quickly regained once normal eating resumes. For optimal fat loss and health, incorporate a variety of nutritious foods into your diet, including plenty of lean protein and vegetables. Apples can be one component of a healthy, balanced diet. But an all-apple diet is too restrictive to follow safely for more than a few days at a time.
Conclusion
Eating nothing but apples may help you lose weight in the beginning due to the resulting calorie deficit. However, an all-apple diet lacks important nutrients, protein, and variety to be followed safely long-term. While apples are healthy, it is best to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods for sustainable weight loss. Incorporate more apples into your regular diet rather than relying on them as your sole source of food.