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2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines: Make Every Bite Count with Michigan Apples

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines focus on choosing healthy foods and beverages rich in nutrients while staying within individual calorie limits. The guidelines call on all of us to Make Every Bite Count! Most foods we eat should provide abundant nutrients, not just calories.

Unfortunately, the current low intake of nutrient-rich foods and beverages has resulted in the underconsumption of some key nutrients and dietary components. Among these are calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D. To make every bite count, carefully select the foods you add to each meal and snack to ensure important, health-promoting nutrients are included.

How to Follow Dietary Guidelines:

Start simply by following the MyPlate Guide for planning meals. Each small step toward healthy choices adds up to big health benefits – bite by bite.

One of the foods you can feel good about consuming daily is a Michigan Apple. Eating just one apple a day with the skin will provide an average of 4.5 grams of fiber, and a tennis ball-sized apple contains only about 80 calories. In addition, an apple provides approximately 180 mg of potassium. Making Michigan Apples a regular part of your food choices is helping you increase your intake of two under-consumed nutrients and dietary components – fiber and potassium!

Michigan Apples are also crunchy, sweet, and satisfying. Add apple chunks to your morning cereal, keep whole apples in the refrigerator for snacks, or add apple slices to your dinner salad. As part of a nutrient-rich diet, apples can help protect against serious diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Consider them your healthy secret weapon.

Try our deliciously healthy recipes below and or our one-week menu plan featuring apples and other nutrient-filled foods so you can Make Every Bite Count.

Make Every Bite Count with These Michigan Apple Recipes!

Michigan Apple, Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

I love chopped apples on oatmeal, but this recipe uses high-protein quinoa for a nutritious, energizing morning meal that’s also gluten-free.

Makes 1 serving. Recipe adapted from EatingWell.com.

Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 9g fat; 52g carbohydrate; 14g protein; 6g fiber

INGREDIENTS:

• • 3/4 cup 2% milk
  • 2/3 cup diced Michigan Apple, divided
  • 1/4 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Combine milk, 1/3 cup chopped apple, quinoa, and apple pie spice in a small saucepan.
   2. Bring to a boil. Cover on simmer on low heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes.
   3. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Top with the remaining apple, almonds, and honey or syrup.

Baked Apples with Granola

This recipe is super simple, and these tasty baked apples make a great fiber-filled snack, or top with vanilla Greek yogurt for breakfast.

Nutrition information per apple: 210 calories; 10g fat; 33g carbohydrate; 2.5g protein; 5.5g fiber

INGREDIENTS:

• • 4 medium to large Michigan Apples (Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Rome, or Braeburn work well)
  • 1/2 -3/4 cup prepared granola
  • 4 teaspoons butter, melted
  • 4 teaspoons honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   2. Wash the apples and scoop out the core, leaving the bottom 1/4 of the apple intact. (Use an apple corer, knife, spoon, or melon baller).
   3. Place apples in a baking dish and drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of melted butter into each apple’s opening.
   4. Fill each apple with 2-3 tablespoons of granola and top with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter on each.
   5. Cover apples with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the apples are tender.
   6. Drizzle each with a teaspoon of honey and serve warm.

Apple Kale Salad

Chock-full of flavor, nutrients, and antioxidants, this fresh salad comes together in minutes!

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 256 calories; 8g fat; 41g carbohydrate; 4.5g protein; 6g fiber; 291 mg sodium

INGREDIENTS:

• • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package baby kale or baby kale blend salad mix
  • 1/3 cup dates, chopped
  • 1 large Michigan Apple (Gala, Honeycrisp), cut into thin slices
  • 1/3 cup sliced, toasted almonds
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt together in a large bowl.
   2. Add the kale salad mix and toss.
   3. Add the dates, apple, almonds, and cheese to the salad. Season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Include Michigan Apples to Follow Dietary Guidelines:

Look for more healthy recipes to make every bite count with Michigan Apples. Or try some of these easy tips to get in your apple a day!