It’s easy to lose weight when you eat the right foods, and if you’re thinking you need to buy expensive energy bars and fat-free diet foods, you’re wrong. You can drop your extra pounds quickly when you eat apples.

Apples improve your health and are also great for weight loss.

You’ve heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Turns out there is a lot of truth to it. Apples are packed with antioxidants, as well as vitamins (mainly vitamins B and C), fiber, and potassium.

They’re good for your lungs and heart, and they’re also great for suppressing your appetite—just eat an apple before your main meal of the day, rather than after.

Nutritionists rave about apples because they have a low GI (glycemic index), which means they digest slowly, which helps stave off hunger for longer. An apple contains only 80 calories, which means that if you eat a couple of apples a day, you won’t be tempted by sugary, high-fat snacks that contain a lot of empty calories.

Unfortunately, apples aren’t glamorous, but there are plenty of ways you can dress them up to make them more enticing and not make you feel deprived.

Here are some simple ideas:

* Add apple slices to your breakfast cereal. Combined with oatmeal, for example, a small bowl will give you energy and keep you satisfied for hours;

* Most fruits taste great with cheese. Try a Gala or Red Delicious with a small cube of cheese (about the size of a matchbox) for a healthy snack anytime;

* Core a Golden Delicious, wrap with dried fruit and a drizzle of honey, and microwave, delicious;

* Try different varieties. Granny Smith tastes great in salads, as does Criterions;

* For a dessert on a special occasion, nothing better than a deep apple pie, with a lot of filling. Who said dieting wasn’t fun?