All Things Pumpkin
When people think of pumpkin and dessert, they often think of a fattening pumpkin pie. While traditional pumpkin pie can often be made with additional ingredients to increase the fat and calories, it is definitely possible to make a healthier version.
Plus, there are also many other amazing healthy dessert recipes that use pumpkin.
Healthier Pumpkin Pie
There aren’t many people who don’t love pumpkin pie in the fall or winter seasons, but unfortunately it is often loaded with sugar, carbs, and fat.
However, you can still make a yummy pumpkin pie that cuts back on those macros and lets you enjoy it without all the guilt. Take your favorite pumpkin pie recipe and just make a few adjustments.
For example, use whole wheat flour for the crust instead of regular white flower, and use pure maple syrup and a sweetener like Stevia instead of regular sugar. This makes a huge difference. Your filling can usually be the same, but increase the health with non-fat milk or nut milk, Greek yogurt, and Stevia instead of sugar. When you add eggs, try to use brown free-range eggs as they are more organic. Continue reading
Smoothies are a great option when you want a quick breakfast, something you can take on-the-go, or an easy way to put together fruits, veggies, and other superfoods without cooking.
In the fall, there are many ways to incorporate seasonal produce in your smoothies, including with some fresh pumpkin. Try out one of these healthy and delicious pumpkin smoothies.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
This first pumpkin smoothie option is one that caters to those who really want a breakfast smoothie that tastes just like a pumpkin pie. You can also have this smoothie as a healthy alternative when others are having fattening pumpkin pie for dessert, but you want to eat something a little on the more nutritious side.
To start this smoothie, you should have one frozen banana so that you don’t need added ice, along with pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and some milk. You can choose regular milk, almond milk, or even cashew milk. Continue reading
When you are on a vegan diet, everything you eat is plant-based, meaning your diet is made up of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and grains. You may also want to use pumpkin in the fall, as a filling and delicious fruit (yep it’s a fruit!). Don’t miss out on these amazing vegan ideas that use pumpkin as a main ingredient.
Pumpkin Hummus
If you are on a plant-based or vegan diet, you probably have your fair share of hummus. This is great to have in a sandwich or on a burger to replace mayonnaise, and is wonderful to dip your veggies in instead of ranch and other dairy-filled dips. You can also make a special fall version that uses pumpkin in the hummus, turning it into a dip for fruits, veggies, and many other uses.
To make this hummus, you start with chickpeas or garbanzo beans, just like with regular hummus. You will then need some pumpkin puree, tahini, olive oil, and spices like garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
The spices you use will depend on what flavor you are going for and whether you want it to be spicy or not. If you like chickpeas but not hummus, you can easily roast some chickpeas with pumpkin pie spice. Continue reading
