Pumpkin spice and all things nice create the taste and smell of fall. Yum-yum! When post people think pumpkin, delicious treats of pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin tart comes to mind. While it is fine to indulge in those a few times over the holiday season, indulging every day is not a good plan; at least not for your waistline! However, there are lots of tasty ways to include pumpkin into your holiday season without all the added sugar and calories.
Pumpkin is actually a very nutrient-rich food! Just one serving contains more than 200% of your dietary needs of Vitamin A, one-third of your daily need for vitamin C and one-fourth your daily needs of fiber! To top it off, it is only 40 calories a serving! This fall, get creative with including pumpkin into your diet! Here are 5 tasty ways to get you going:
- Pumpkin Smoothies: Blending pumpkin into a smoothie with milk, protein powder and your favorite spices can be a great breakfast or post-workout meal. This time of year many brands make pumpkin yogurt too, which can add a protein kick to your smoothie!
- Pumpkin Oatmeal: Make your morning full of pumpkin spice! To start, mix oats with milk or water and cook in the microwave like normal. Add in 1/8-1/4 cup pumpkin puree, a pinch of pumpkin spice seasoning and a pinch of cinnamon, pop in the microwave a few more seconds and you are ready to go in minutes! Feel free to add nuts, peanut butter, coconut flakes, seeds or dried fruit to your liking.
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Tease the seeds out of the pumpkin innards with your fingers and rinse them in a colander. Boil the seeds in a pot of well-salted water 10 minutes; drain, spread on baking sheet, toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the seeds are toasty brown. Grab a snack baggie, add some whole grain granola and nuts and you have a nutrient-rich snack for the whole week!
- Pumpkin Pancakes: Oat flour-pumpkin pancakes are a great way to add nutrients and fiber to your morning. Pumpkin’s moist texture combined with your favorite spices make for a delicious, cozy morning. Plus, you can top with plain or vanilla yogurt and crushed nuts to make a complete breakfast!
- Pumpkin Spice Bars or Energy Bites: Using pumpkin as a base for energy bites or bars will give you that fall feel to your mid-day snack.
