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 people with diabetes. 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 Greek 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 well-balanced recipe overnight oats recipe, created by the Froedtert & MCW Diabetes Dietitians.

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats Recipe  

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup dry oats
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 tablespoons peanut butter powder (such as PB2)
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.    Combine oat/milk mixture with pumpkin/banana mixture.
4.    Stir in chia seeds, peanut butter powder, vanilla extract and spices until mixed.
5.    Let rest in a closed container overnight in the refrigerator.
6.    Sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts (optional).

These oats can be microwaved in the morning, or eaten cold, right out of the refrigerator. 

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

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

Recipe Source: Froedtert & MCW Diabetes Dietitians