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Anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with pumpkin — not carving them, but eating them. I LOVE real or canned pumpkin and use it in all sorts of things, so you can see why fall is my favorite time of year. I was born on Halloween for a reason. (No, I’m not a witch, I’m just freaky for pumpkin. Even when I was a kid, I asked for a pumpkin pie instead of birthday cake.) Canned pumpkin is fabulously nutritious, very low carb, and contains virtually no fat. It also packs a good fiber punch, not to mention pumpkin provides your daily needed Vitamin A and beta-carotene.

 

During the past few weeks, you've probably noticed the influx of pumpkin

“goodies” in the stores (i.e. muffins, cookies, cakes). You might find them very tasty, but they're not very helpful in maintaining your weight and staying fit. Canned pumpkin, though, can be used in all sorts of healthy ways that are delicious AND highly nutritious. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it.

 

I usually combine canned pumpkin, Greek yogurt or a little vanilla protein powder, almond milk, and a few other easy ingredients and voilà! You have a great pumpkin pie smoothie and a delicious low-carb treat! Click here for my recipe.

 

Add a scoop of pumpkin to hot oatmeal. Top it with some walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon sugar and you’ve got a great breakfast. 

 

Whole wheat flour, canned pumpkin, almond milk, and a few other ingredients make delicious pancakes. Add cinnamon chips or walnuts to be decadent. Click here for my recipe.

 

A lot of people also use pumpkin in soups. It adds flavor and thickness. A great twist on pumpkin soup is my Pumpkin Black Bean Soup. It's delicious on cold winter days and is a family favorite at my house. Click here for my recipe.

 

These chocolate cupcakes are great for the busy mom. They actually start with an ordinary cake mix and are still low in calories. The key is substituting canned pumpkin for the oil and egg yolks. I never tell anyone there's pumpkin in them and no one ever asks! Click here for my recipe.

 

These recipes and more are all in my cookbook, CHOOSE THIS! I hope you have a fun Halloween. I love all the trick-or-treaters and their cute costumes. Enjoy!

 

—Chris Freytag