The Perfect Bite: The worst store-bought apple pie
With the colder months and holidays just around the corner, one dessert you’re bound to run into is apple pie. But just how much will this dessert add to your waistline? On this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Andrea Jenna is joined by registered dietitian Shauna Lindzon. They take a look at how store-bought apple pies measure up nutritionally, and taste-wise.
So how bad is apple pie?
“If you look at the crust, typically it’s a very processed white flour, unfortunately,” explains Shauna. “And then they add a fat, and sometimes the fat is hydrogenated, which contains trans fats, which are very bad for us.”
“Then they put in a lot of sugar, and sometimes the sugar is in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, which is cheap sugar that is very unhealthy for us,” she continues. “But the good news is, they do add fresh fruit to the pie which is a healthy source of antioxidants, and sometimes fibre.”
To help you choose the best store-bought pie, Andra and Shauna are taste testing five different apple pies. See how they measure up below.
Irresistibles Apple Pie (Least Calories: per 1/10 pie (100 g), 250 calories, 13 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 16 g sugars)
“Lots of apple chunks, and the sauce is really rich-looking, like jam,” Andrea comments after taking a bite. “And it’s sweet, but it doesn’t have much of a crunch. I feel like they’re a little bit soggy, the apples.”
“I agree,” Shauna says. “And the crust, it’s flaky – a little bit salty.”
While this pie didn’t exactly win over our judges when it came to taste, Shauna explains that it is the pie with the least calories.
Also see: The Perfect Bite: Which frozen fries are the least healthy?
Farmer’s Market Apple Pie with Cinnamon (Andrea and Shauna’s favourite: per 1/10 pie (100 g), 280 calories, 14 g fat, 170 mg sodium, 16 g sugars)
“The apples are crispy,” says Shauna. “And they taste almost lemon juicy. It’s a very pleasant flavour, actually.”
“The crust almost has a buttery taste to it.”
“It’s soft and light, though” says Andrea.
This crispy choice won over both Andrea and Shauna – they both chose it as their favourite pie.
Compliments Apple Pie (Least healthy: per 1/10 pie (110 g), 280 calories, 15 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 13 g sugars)
“It almost looks homemade,” Shauna remarks. “The apples look very fresh.”
Andrea agrees that this pie looks like it came straight from the oven.
“It looks homemade because the crust is a little darker,” she says.
“Same consistency as the second one, the apples,” says Shauna. “Lemony and crunchy, they’re not soft.”
If you’re going to stay away from one of these apple pies, Shauna recommends steering clear of this one.
“It has vegetable shortening, which contains the trans fatty acids, which we want to stay away from,” she explains.
Also see: The Perfect Bite: The healthiest fast-food breakfast sandwich may surprise you
Sara Lee Apple Pie (Healthiest option/least amount of ingredients: per 1/8 pie (131 g), 340 calories, 16 g fat, 440 mg sodium, 20 g sugars)
Dietitian Shauna is not impressed by her first bite of this pie.
“I do not like the crust at all,” she says. “The flavour and the texture.”
“The apples are kind of soggy again,” comments Andrea.
“It also has an aftertaste,” Shauna says.
The nutritional information for this pie surprised Shauna.
“Sara Lee has the least amount of ingredients,” she explains. “They don’t add a lot of chemicals compared to the other pies.”
“I think it’s because it’s frozen.”
Apple Valley Apple Pie (per 1/6 pie (92 g), 270 calories, 15 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 13 g sugars)
“It’s overly sweet,” says Shauna. “Almost chemical tasting.”
“The apples are just almost melting in your mouth,” Andrea says. “There’s not much of a crunch.”
“The crust also is soggy,” comments Shauna. “No crisp factor to it, no flakiness factor.”
Also see: The Perfect Bite: Which hydration drinks are best for you?
Healthier alternatives to store-bought pies
If you choose to go the traditional route and make your own pie at home, Shauna offers up some tips for making it healthier.
“You can choose a healthier flour, for instance you can bake a pie with spelt flour that is stone ground,” she says. “And then you can add a healthier oil like an organic canola oil, that’s full of mono-unsaturated fats, into the pie, instead of something like lard or butter or margarine.”
“And of course, the fruit choice is important as well. You can really experiment with the fruit.”
And if you want something healthier than apple pie – there are still ways to indulge in one of the season’s yummiest dessert options.
“A fruit crisp is a really good option,” Shauna says. “Because you have the fruit on the bottom and then you can make a granola topping, with oats and nuts and seeds.”
If you do go the traditional apple pie route, Irresistibles and Sara Lee are the best options out of the bunch – and you might want to stay away from Compliments.
Do you buy your pie at the store? Or do you prefer to make a healthier twist at home? Let us know in the comments below.
