Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

As the days grow slightly shorter and the breeze a touch cooler, coffee drinks turn spiced, menus are laced with orange, and just like that the pumpkin flavored season is upon us.

While pumpkin-anything has been the source of “basic” jokes over the years, it’s undeniable that many of us look forward to this sweet, creamy, spiced seasonal flavor. Whether in our mugs, baked goods, soups, or burning in a candle, we tend to love this Autumn veggie.

Pumpkin is in fact a gut-friendly food, and one that a lot of us could benefit from eating.

Let’s look at some pumpkin facts:

• Like most FODMAPs, pumpkin is filled with pre-biotic fiber, the kind of fiber that feeds and nourishes your beneficial gut bacteria and any probiotics you’re consuming. *As an aside, pumpkin is fabulous for your dog’s digestion too!

• It should be noted that 1/3 cup of canned pumpkin is a Low FODMAP portion. Anything above that may aggravate your digestion if you have been diagnosed with IBS/are sensitive to FODMAPs and haven’t yet healed your gut entirely.

• Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and antioxidants, helpful for hormone and immune health.

• Pumpkin seeds, which are delicious sprinkled with garlic, salt and cumin and roasted in the oven, are rich in zinc, an immune boosting, gut healing nutrient. Zinc may help strengthen the lining of the gut, preventing it from becoming too permeable (aka: leaky gut). The seeds are also rich in magnesium, known for it’s role in preventing constipation and is an essential mineral for metabolism. If you find digesting seeds challenging then start with a small portion and chew, chew, chew before swallowing.

• Spices that tend to go with pumpkin: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla may be useful in calming digestive discomfort and some even have anti-microbial and anti-viral effects to them

Some of my favorite ways to use pumpkin this time of year:

• Pumpkin puree in soups and savory dishes adds a creamy base with a touch of sweetnesss. Try adding 1/3 – 1 cup into your vegetable soup, lasagna, curry or chili for a fall take.
• Pumpkin puree used as a thick creamy soup or as a sauce for pasta is so decadent and comforting. Using a hand-held emersion blender I’ll simmer garlic and onion in a pan, add some broth, then some pumpkin puree and blend until creamy. Add cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and black pepper, then a splash of milk (I like coconut milk here). Then blend until all combined and creamy.
• Pumpkin in smoothies is a great base instead of the typical banana. Try freezing portions of pumpkin puree then adding to the blender. Add in your favorite vanilla protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, and milk of choice.
• Baking with pumpkin is an obvious. You can replace oil in a recipe with pumpkin (just like you would do with applesauce). You can also make pumpkin bread, pancakes and cookies. I recommend looking up recipes that use alternative flours to regular flour. Recipes that use almond flour, coconut flour, oat flour, or gluten-free flours.
• Pumpkin puree stirred into oatmeal is a luscious way bring the fall flavor into breakfast. Don’t forget to follow up with the spices and crumbled walnuts or pecans on top.
• Make pumpkin protein bites and keep them in the fridge for a quick treat.

Ordering Pumpkin Lattes

When ordering a specialty drink like the basic pumpkin latte I suggest enjoying it a few times through the season if it’s one of your greatest joys, but you can tweak your order to make it healthier:

• Order a smaller size than your usual
• Ask for 1 or 2 pumps less of the sweetener/flavored syrup
• Add your own monk fruit or stevia if you want it sweeter
• Forgo the added drizzle or whipped cream on top
• Switch to a lower-fat milk or a dairy free milk that works well for your gut
• Pair it with a small protein source to prevent a whacked-out blood sugar response, something like an egg, some nuts, or maybe a handful of seasoned pumpkin seeds!

Try these Protein Pumpkin Bites

Metabolic & Gut health friendly

Great for your gut!

Perfect for pre- and post- workout snacking, you’ve got carbs and protein for energy and muscle repair

Good for keeping blood sugar stable

Even safe for dogs!

What You Need:

2 cups rolled organic oats

1 heaping scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup almond butter

handful roasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

tiny pinch of cloves

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix until smooth, then roll into balls and place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Put in fridge to harden up for 30 minutes before eating and keep refrigerated for a week. Enjoy 🙂

This recipe is so easy, my 3 year old loved making them and was happy to eat the raw “dough”!

Hope you enjoy! Leave a comment if you try out the recipe!