Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

This is my favorite time of year, where summer slips gently into fall. And pumpkin is part of that for me.

HealthNet insurance put some healthy pumpkin recipes out in its latest email. See below. By the way, I substitute Splenda for sugar. And I will be making the pumpkin bread this morning!

"Pumpkins are more than just decorations - they’re low in fat and sodium, rich in the vitamins and minerals essential to a healthy lifestyle, and taste good too… Try one of these pumpkin recipes to sweeten up your Halloween or Thanksgiving holidays.

Crunchy Pumpkin Pie
For Crust
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water

For Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated skim milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To prepare crust: Mix oats, flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in small mixing bowl. Blend oil and water in measuring cup with fork or small wire whisk until emulsified. Add oil mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. If needed, add small amount of water to hold mixture together. Press into 9-inch pie pan, and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until light brown. Turn down oven to 350 degrees. To prepare filling: Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in bowl. Add egg and vanilla, and mix to blend ingredients. Add pumpkin and milk, and stir to combine. Putting it together: Pour filling into prepared pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Nutrition facts: Makes 9 servings; Serving Size 1/9 of 9-inch pie; Calories 169; Fat 7 g; Cholesterol 24 mg; Sodium 207 mg; Fiber 3 g; Protein 5 g; Carbohydrates 22 g

Pumpkin Bread
1 can (15 ounce) pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup yogurt, plain lowfat
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat together pumpkin, sugar, oil, and yogurt. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt; add to pumpkin mixture, stirring until just moistened. Stir in raisins. Pour into 2 greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pans and bake for about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.

Note: Substituting yogurt for eggs and oil reduces fat and cholesterol.

Nutritional facts: Makes 32 servings; Serving Size 1 slice; Calories 110; Fat 2g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 150 mg; Fiber 1 g; Carbohydrate 21g; Protein 2g; Sugars 10g

Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cup milk, lowfat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl, combine egg, canned pumpkin, milk and vegetable oil, mixing well. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Batter may be lumpy. (For thinner batter, add more milk). Lightly coat a griddle or skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium. Using a ¼ cup measure, pour batter onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles begin to burst, then flip pancakes and cook until golden brown, 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 1 dozen 3 ½ inch pancakes.

Nutritional facts: Makes 12 servings; Serving Size 1 pancake; Calories 130; Fat 3g; Cholesterol 20 mg; Sodium 340mg; Carbohydrate 21g; Fiber 1g; Protein 4g; Sugars 4g

Sources:
Crunchy Pumpkin Pie recipe from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Keep the Beat - Heart Healthy Recipes; www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Pumpkin Bread recipe from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Adapted from Food for Fitness and Fun, November 2000 Iowa State University Extension; http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov
Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Adapted from Kids a Cookin', Kansas Family Nutrition Program; http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov"