Apples are Paleo, so it stands to reason that apples that have been cooked down to mushy baby food can still be included as part of a healthy Paleo lifestyle, and they can!
Paleo and Carbohydrates
Most conventional applesauce includes sweeteners though, and those are not very Paleo-friendly. Even adding a normally Paleo sweetener, like honey, can result in a food that provides a harder hit to our blood sugar levels than we like. For best results, we recommend buying unsweetened applesauce, or better yet, make your own.
Just remember that fruit is still very high in carbohydrates, and depending on how much you reduce your apples, you’re getting rid of a lot of the fiber that helps slow down the digestion of those carbs so they don’t cause a major spike in blood sugar. A spike leads to a crash, leaving us feeling tired, cranky, and craving more carbs to get our blood sugar back up. A spike in blood sugar also results in a corresponding spike in insulin, which is fine once in a while, but chronically high levels of insulin lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes and all of the health issues that come with it.
When to Eat Applesauce
For that reason, applesauce is probably best kept to an occasional treat and/or paired with fat and protein, which also help slow the digestion of carbohydrates. Robb Wolf recommends saving the carb-laden foods, such as applesauce, for a post-workout glycogen repletion.
