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By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17
Whether you are headed home for the holiday weekend or sticking around campus, it’s not a real Thanksgiving without these three things: turkey, football and some kind of dish made with pumpkin.
Whether it’s pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice latte, there is no doubt that America’s favorite squash is undeniably delicious, but there are also a number of health benefits to including pumpkin in your diet – including sharpened vision, a boosted immune system and even weight loss (in moderation, of course!).
So to celebrate Thanksgiving and America’s favorite squash, here are three pumpkin recipes that you can easily make to impress your folks and spruce up the dinner table:
NO-BAKE PUMPKIN OATMEAL COOKIES
(Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 26 calories, 1 gram of total fat, 1 gram of protein, 0.5 gram of fiber)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of oat flour
1/4 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp. of cinnamon (optional: 1/4 cup of chocolate chips)
1/3 cup of canned pumpkin
2 tbsp. of milk
1 tbsp. of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract
Tools at Hand:
Mixing bowls
Mixing spoon
Fridge
Plate or dish
Instructions:
1. Combine all dry ingredients (quick oats, oat flour, salt, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, chocolate chips) and stir very well in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all the liquid ingredients (canned pumpkin, milk, vegetable oil, pure vanilla extract) and stir very well.
2. Put the dry and liquid ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Then form into balls or cookies and place on a plate or a large dish.
3. Place them in the fridge fro approximately 30 minutes and then serve! Makes multiple servings.
PUMPKIN ENCHILLADAS
(Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 420 calories, 11 grams of total carbohydrates, 17 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber)
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of canned pumpkin
3/4 cup of plain whole yogurt
1 tbsp. of cilantro
1/2 of bunch spinach
1/2 tsp. of cumin
1/4 tsp. of salt
1/2 cup of canned black beans
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 whole wheat tortillas
Tools at Hand:
Microwave
Cutting board
Microwave-safe dishes
Mixing bowls
Instructions:
1. Make the enchilada sauce by blending together the yogurt and cilantro until smooth.
2. Shred the spinach and place in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for one to two minutes or until wilted.
3. Mix canned pumpkin with the cumin and salt. Fold in the black beans, cooked spinach and half of the cheddar cheese.
4. Place half of the mixture on each tortilla and spoon some of the sauce on top of the mixture and wrap both tortillas.
5. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and then microwave for about one minute. Then serve! Makes two servings.
PUMPKIN DIP
(Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 107 calories, 3.2 grams of total fat, 2 grams of protein, 1.4 grams of fiber)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
2 tsp. of maple syrup
1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
24 apple slices
Tools at Hand:
Mixing bowl
Mixer or mixing spoon
Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
Instructions:
1. Place reduced-fat cream cheese, packed brown sugar and canned pumpkin in a medium-sized bowl and beat with a mixer or mix by hand at medium speed until well blended. Then add syrup and cinnamon and beat until smooth.
2. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill for 30 minutes and then serve with apple slices! Makes 1 serving of dip.
All recipes adapted by Christine Tellez, a registered dietician at the FIU Student Health Services. For more information on nutrition and building healthy eating habits, send an email to Christine at cdtellez@fiu.edu.
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