My favorite part of the fall season? It’s making pumpkin a big part of my diet. Pumpkins are low in calories and loaded with nutrients like Vitamins A, B6, C and E as well as potassium and folate. This delicious fruit (pumpkin is not a vegetable!) is primarily thought of as a favorite pie ingredient and aspiring Jack ‘o Lantern. But it can be incorporated into your meals without adding sugar, as is the case in many pumpkin recipes. Here are a few health-conscious suggestions you can try:
Pumpkin-Inspired Meal Ideas:
- Add canned pumpkin into a pot of hot oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon.
- Add canned pumpkin into your pancake mix.
- Make a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie in a blender using:
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ banana
- 6 oz. nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ½ Tbsp. honey
- 1 cup crushed ice
- Make Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese:
- Box of whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cups spinach
- 1 can of pumpkin puree
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to directions on package minus 2 minutes, and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water when done.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet. Sauté onions and spinach until softened.
- Stir in canned pumpkin and ricotta cheese. Empty drained pasta plus 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water into skillet and mix well.
- Spoon pasta into 11 x 7 baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!
