Apples and other small items only tend to heal 1 or 2 hitpoints at a time. Taking 3 through 5 to heal you 6 health points out of at level 2 lets say 12. There are a few food items that heal you up to 5, those are rarer. Most healing potions heal you between 2 - 8 hit points, and are harder to come by.
Now take into consideration that most people eat 3x a day, which would amount to 2 short rests, and a long... oh wait typically breakfeast and dinner would be in the same camp, and a short rest unless your a hobbit would occur around noon. So eating a few apples, a sausage link, and a few other random items to help top you off isn't that far fetched. Especially when compared to other games where healing in combat is done by eating food, and that only takes a couple food items to fully heal.
I don't see a problem currently with food healing you, especially if you can't do it in battle. Then again it's up to you to chose not to, or to use whats given as an option.
