You may now proceed to drink your Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Just kidding, we need to have a quick conversation first. I know the PSL came out early (as usual) this year but I have refused to even think about Fall foods until today. While I’m not spending the day baking, I did round up a number of healthy pumpkin recipes we plan to dig into this Fall.
Happy First Day of Fall!
It’s Okay To Get On The Pumpkin Recipes Bandwagon
There, I said it. I never thought that would come out of my mouth. Truth be told, I’m not a pumpkin fan. A few weeks ago @OneUponAPumpkin shared this graphic on Instagram highlighting the benefits of pumpkin in your diet.
To break down the nutrition benefits she shared…pumpkin has:
- Pumpkin has anti-oxidant content that helps protect from disease
- High in vitamin C
- Also high in potassium
- AND high in vitamin A
Since I typically don’t just trust a single instagram post (you shouldn’t either). I dug into things further. It turns out, we really do need more pumpkin in our lives.
One cup of pumpkin not only is high in the nutrients above but also has:
- 3 grams of fiber
- 11% of your recommended daily B12 intake
- 8% of your recommended daily iron intake
- 2 grams of protein
Do you see now why I feel like I need to add more pumpkin into my life?
Watch The Sugar When You Bake With Pumpkin
Now, I don’t expect you to eat a full cup of cooked pumpkin every day. However, something like pumpkin muffins can be a good source of vitamins and nutrients if baked properly.
Many pumpkin recipes I have come across are extremely high in sugar. This is where I caution the pumpkin baking.I’m sure by now you’ve seen memes or images shared around social media about the amount of sugar in a pumpkin spice latte. (Not to mention, a pumpkin spice latte doesn’t ACTUALLY contain pumpkin) Unfortunately that seems to be the case for most pumpkin recipes I come across most days.
The key to cooking with pumpkin is making sure you have REAL pumpkin to use in the recipe. Pumpkin purée is a good way to start. However, if your pumpkin purée is from a can, just make sure nothing has been added to preserve it. You can also make your own pumpkin purée at home.
Healthier Pumpkin Recipes
In order to help get more pumpkin into your diet this Fall, I rounded up a few pumpkin recipes that are made from pumpkin puree and do not have added sugar. I may even try to work my way through a few of these this Fall. As someone who doesn’t necessarily love pumpkin, these actually all sound delicious!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
- Pumpkin Oat Cookies (GF, Vegan)
- Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- 5 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Paleo Pumpkin Donuts (GF)
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Do you have a go to pumpkin recipe? Where should I start?