Hungry Girl Goes ... in Search of Pumpkin Treats! (2024)
It’s pumpkin time! Check out my favorite ways to use it, plus some delicious pumpkin-packed food finds.
Good canned fun Canned pumpkin is underrated. It’s packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and it’s so easy to use. A half-cup serving has just 40 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber and a POINTS® value of 0. Use it in soups, pies, puddings, cakes, smoothies and more. FYI: Make sure you get 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling; the latter has way more calories and sugar.
Pumpkin pudding This is so fast and easy. Mix two tablespoons of canned pumpkin with one vanilla-flavored Jell-O Sugar-Free Pudding Snack. Top it off with a squirt of Fat-Free Reddi-wip and you have a fantastic little dessert for a POINTS value of 1! Psst ... sprinkle a little Fiber One cereal on top for added crunch.
Oatmeal with pumpkin Bulk up your morning meal by adding a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin to your bowl of oatmeal. If you like your oatmeal sweet add some no-cal sweetener and/or sugar-free maple syrup to it. And don't forget a sprinkle of cinnamon, too!
Pumpkin-packed brownies If you like moist, brownie-like treats, pumpkin will be your new best friend. Add a 15-ounce can to a box of devil's food cake mix, stir it up (the batter will be very thick) and then bake according to the box directions. Don’t add anything else (I promise!), and you'll get fudgy, cake-y brownie treats. Yum!
Try my 0 POINTS value dip!
Pumpkin picks Kashi TLC Crunchy Granola Bars in Pumpkin Spice Flax Oooh these are GREAT. They come two bars to a pack and are baked with roasted pumpkin seeds, whole flaxseeds, and Kashi’s signature seven whole grains and sesame blend. You get 6 grams of protein and 300mg of Omega-3s per pack. Impressive!
One pack (2 bars) has 180 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber and a POINTS value of 3.
Crum Creek's Brilliantly Blended Soy Nut Mix This stuff really is brilliant! The organic mix comes in individual portion-controlled packs and contains pumpkin seeds, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins and tiny chocolate chips. It’s salty and sweet and packs in 9 grams of protein per serving. Find this mix online at crumcreek.com.
One package has 131 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber and a POINTS value of 2.
Ryvita Whole Grain Rye Crispbread in Pumpkin Seeds & Oats Leave it to Ryvita to make their products with as few ingredients as possible. This new variety of crispbread is made with whole-grain rye flour, pumpkin seeds, whole-grain oats, and salt. That’s it, nothing else. Spread half a wedge of Laughing Cow Light cheese on one of these babies and you’ve got a great snack for under 80 calories and a POINTS value of 1. PS The packages are now re-sealable (finally!).
One slice of crispbread has 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and a POINTS value of 1.
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee Starbucks’ lightened up version of their Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino rocks. Pumpkin fans will love this frozen concoction that saves you almost 200 calories and 10.5 grams of fat compared to the original. Indulge in all the chilly, pumpkin-y goodness of a tall size for only a POINTS value of 2.
One tall (12 ounce) Frappuccino has 120 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and a POINTS value of 2.
Pumpkin seeds With all this talk about canned pumpkin, let’s not forget about the valuable seeds. Pumpkin seeds are a great healthy snack. Just like their fleshy counterpart, they're packed with vitamins and minerals. And it’s easy these days to find them prepackaged and roasted without oil.
If you do like to roast your own, follow these steps: Preheat oven to 250°F. Rinse and dry the seeds. Toss them with a little bit of cooking spray and your choice of spices and/or seasonings. Bake ‘em in the oven for about 45 minutes and enjoy!
One ounce of pumpkin seeds in the shell (about 90 of them) has around 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and a POINTS value of 3.
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Hungry Girl, aka Lisa Lillien, distributes her tips, tricks and takes on new food products through her daily emails and Web site. Check out www.Hungry-Girl.com.
Pumpkin seeds are edible, nutritious seeds from pumpkins that are roasted, salted, and eaten as a snack in many parts of the world. They're very nutritious, with omega-3 fatty acids and lots of minerals, and they have anti-inflammatory effects that have many potential health benefits.
Pumpkin seed shells are safe to eat and provide more fiber than green, shelled pumpkin seeds. However, people with digestive conditions may want to avoid whole seeds, as their high fiber content can trigger symptoms like pain and diarrhea.
The American Heart Association recommends a quarter cup of daily intake of pumpkin seeds as part of an overall healthy diet, which is approximately 30 g. This amount will provide you with a good amount of protein, healthy fats, fiber, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and other effective nutrients.
Before Bedtime: As mentioned earlier, pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, which promotes restful sleep. Eating them before bedtime can help you relax and get a good night's sleep.
Although cooking may lead to a loss of micronutrients, one study found that roasting pumpkin seeds increased their antioxidant, phenol, and flavonoid contents ( 4 ).
Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber, and have a very low carb count. One ounce of these little beauties contains about 4 grams of net carbs, making them the perfect ketogenic snack or addition to your favorite keto recipe[*].
Pumpkins seeds are perfectly safe to enjoy raw. Now, if you do choose to eat raw pumpkin seeds, you'll need to decide if you want to eat them with or without the shell. While shelled pumpkin seeds contain more fiber than unshelled ones, the shell is chewy and may take a bit more work to break down.
Some larger seeds may be too tough to eat, although generally all seeds are suitable for consumption, so make a judgement call based on the seeds you're faced with. Seeds straight from the pumpkin are usually white and they look different to the dark green seeds you see in packets.
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