3. Apples
Not only will ‘an apple keep the doctor away’, but it will also help you shed the extra pounds. “Apples provide a combination of fiber and water that allows them to promote a feeling of fullness,” Palinski-Wade says.
Due to a soluble fiber named pectin which is found in apples, you will stay full and satisfied for longer. “Soluble fiber dissolves in water and will form a gel material known as pectin,” says Lucy Lengfelder, a clinical dietician at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). “It helps to lower your cholesterol and decrease your blood glucose level.”
You can also find fiber in oats, legumes, and some fruits and veggies—but the vast majority of them contain insoluble fiber instead (which aids bowel health), so apples are a bit unique in this way.
A recent analysis in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that apples were linked with weight loss, most likely due to their high amounts of polyphenols, which have anti-obesity effects. Palinski-Wade recommends eating apples slowly, as consuming them slowly promotes fullness even more.
