Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Name: Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pumpkin puree; 1 large frozen banana; 8 oz unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice); 3 tbsp coconut milk (canned; optional); 2 scoops collagen peptides (or protein powder of choice); 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice; 2 pieces dates (or more to taste); 1 pinch nutmeg; 1 tbsp pepitas (for topping)

Eleanor Baker MS, RD, CSSD

September 15, 2021

beginner Beverages easy Fiber Learn Recipes Smoothies

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As your enter into the start of fall by easing your way out of summer, it is a great idea to look at what is in season to shift your eating habits. Particularly, you will see winter squash recipes featuring pumpkins pop up frequently during the fall. While in some areas regions of the country it may be too hot to dive right into soups, you can still start your day off with a pumpkin based smoothie.

This recipe features my wholesome Pumpkin Spice Smoothie that is sure to tantalize your taste buds with its warm spices and nutrient rich fruit base. The bright orange winter squashes we have come to love around this time of year come in a few varieties.

Types of Winter Squash

The pumpkin commonly considered for baking and recipes is the small sugar squash variety while the larger ones are often used for carving jack-o-lanterns. Winter squash varies greatly in size shape and color. As you can see in the picture below, there is a plethora to choose from. Acorn, butternut, hubbard, spaghetti and turban squash are just a few of the winter squash you can learn to enjoy!

Pumpkin Nutrition & Benefits

Winter squash in general are excellent sources of the carotenes, which are powerful antioxidants that give the squash its deep orange and yellow color. Opt for varieties like pumpkin and acorn squash to get the most bang for your buck with carotene which can help to protect against certain types of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Pumpkins are known to have high amounts of vitamin A. In fact, one cup of cooked pumpkin has 245% of your daily needs! Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and is important for healthy vision, immunity and antioxidant activity in the body. Pumpkins are also high in fiber, vitamin C and potassium.

Pumpkin seeds, also referred to as pepitas are very high in iron, manganese and a number of other key minerals. They provide large amounts of vitamin K and protein to the recipe as well!