APPLE, the nutrient values listed for apples are based upon a medium apple which weighs a little over 5 ounces (3 apples to the pound). Whether you buy Empire, Fuji, Gala or Jonagold, an apple this size provides about 80 calories and a very respectable five grams of dietary fiber, as long as you eat the peel. Pare the apple and dietary fiber drops to about 3.5 grams. Current nutritional guidelines recommend we consume 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber daily. Two medium, unpared apples provide about half that amount.

The "typical" apple in the grocery store bulk bin is often larger than those listed in exchange lists for diabetic meal plans or calorie-counting guides. In the bins, apples often weigh 8 ounces, providing close to 120 calories each.

If you eat two of these larger apples and count them as only a total of 120 calories (2 fruit exchanges), you've underestimated your energy intake by over 100 calories. Apples that weigh 3 to 4 ounces (4 per pound) fit the 60-calorie apples in exchange lists.

Apples contain only a small amount of vitamin C and virtually no vitamin A, two nutrients we depend on fruits and vegetables to provide. On the positive side, apples are virtually fat-free, provide modest amounts of potassium, and add to our fiber intake.