The Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Enjoying Pumpkin Foods Without Added Sugar

It’s pumpkin spice season. Typically, commercially prepared products like pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin spice cookies can be difficult to fit within an everyday meal plan, especially for diabetics. Sure, they sound delicious, but they’re loaded with sugar. Luckily, there are plenty of healthy ways to enjoy pumpkin at your meals.

Did you know that pumpkin has a lot of great nutritional value? One-half cup of canned pumpkin is a good source of fiber, contains only 10 grams of carbohydrates and supplies about 100% of the daily value of vitamin A. This vitamin is especially beneficial for eye and skin health.

Healthy Pumpkin Food Tips

Try mixing canned 100% pure pumpkin with sugar-free vanilla yogurt. Add pumpkin to a batch of homemade pancakes. You can even consider making a savory pumpkin dish like pumpkin soup, or check out this high-fiber, diabetic-friendly pumpkin and peanut butter overnight oats recipe below, created by the Froedtert & MCW Diabetes Dietitians.

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats Recipe  

Enjoy hot or cold the next morning for a quick breakfast!

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup dry oats
¼ -½ cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk
¼ cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 banana (less than 6 inches long), mashed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoon powdered peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1.    Mix oats with milk. Set aside.
2.    Blend or mix banana and pumpkin in a dish. 
3.    Add oat/milk mixture to pumpkin/banana mixture and combine.
4.    Stir in chia seeds, powdered peanut butter, vanilla extract and spices until mixed.
5.    Let rest in a closed container overnight in the refrigerator.
6.    Sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts, if desired.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

• Calories: 315
• Carbohydrates: 47 grams
• Protein: 14 grams
• Fiber: 13 grams  

Recipe Source: Froedtert & MCW Diabetes Dietitians