Eating an apple offers this much fiber

Apples are the perfect snack on the run for the busiest days, and have a reputation to uphold – after all, they apparently keep the doctor away.

But nutrition experts want people to realize just how helpful apples can be in their diet for improving fiber intake, something we don’t get enough of.

Here's what to know about fiber in apples.

How many grams of fiber are in an apple?

With about 4 to 4.5 grams of fiber each, an apple can make up about 16% of the recommended dietary fiber consumption, depending on how many calories people eat overall, according to Healthline and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Ashley Koff, registered dietitian and author of "Your Best Shot," shares that apples are excellent fiber sources, and even contain two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. "Soluble helps stabilize blood sugar and cholesterol, insoluble adds bulk, aiding regularity (of bowel movements)," she says.

Some people who have been using supplements to get more fiber might find apples just as convenient. "Whole foods as the foundation win because you get more nutrients along with the fibers, and you likely get a blend of fibers as well," Koff adds.

However, people carefully counting fiber should note that some types of apples vary in their fiber content, and not all might have 4.5 grams. For example, the Gala apple has close to half of that, at 2.5 grams. When in doubt, choose Red Delicious apples, which sometimes even have more than the 4.5-gram standard, and rank closer to 5 grams.

What are apples good for?

In addition to fiber intake, Koff shares that apples are the right amount of sweet, and can even help retrain your taste buds to love nature’s sweetness rather than added sugars. She notes they are also portable, which makes it easy to throw fiber in your bag to ward off hunger later in the day.

Beyond fiber, apples have other health benefits like reducing inflammation due to antioxidants. Apples also contain phytochemicals, which can help with a variety of issues from brain health to microbiome health.

This story has been updated to add new information.