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6 Genius Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin
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When fall is in the air, pumpkins are pretty much everywhere, and that means canned pumpkin gets the front-of-aisle spotlight at grocery stores everywhere.
If you’re like many people, you probably only think to grab canned pumpkin for that pie you need to bring to Aunt Bettie’s on Turkey Day. But we’re here to tell you that it’s time to use this orange goodness for more than the typical fare. We’ll get to our 6 Genius Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin below. But first, let’s talk about…
Health Benefits of Pumpkin
Pumpkin is ridiculously healthful. It’s loaded with vitamin A (which is important for healthy skin and fighting a cold), flavonoids, carotenoids, and zeaxanthin (which helps keep your peepers strong). On top of that, it’s filled with fiber.
So go grab a few cans (try to make them organic and be sure not to get the kind that has added sugar!) and get ready to chow down on this healthy, versatile food.
RELATED: What’s the Difference Between Gourds, Squash, and Pumpkins?
6 Genius Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin:
- Add it…
- To yogurt
- To oatmeal
- To pancakes, waffles, crepes
- To toast with a drizzle of honey
- To legume dishes, such as lentils, chickpeas, or black beans
- To sour cream (for soups and tacos)
- To curry, soups, chili, or stew
- Breakfast it. Pumpkin blends into a smoothie like it was invented just for that purpose. It mixes into your favorite hot cereal without making it too heavy. It spreads on toast like a dream. You can even pumpkin-up your morning coffee by mixing a spoonful of pumpkin into your milk and heating it up before pouring it in (and here’s a great place to add a shake of pumpkin pie spices to boost the flavor).
- Fat-replace it. You already know you can use applesauce in lieu of butter or oil, but pumpkin also works! Try it in cornbread, chocolate cake, and bran muffins. You’ll get all of the benefits, plus the added flavor that your friends will go nuts for.
- Mask it. Holiday season getting to your skin? Take care of it with a pumpkin mask that is simple to make with ingredients you have in the kitchen. Pumpkin and Greek yogurt in equal proportions is just one simple idea, or try this amped-up version. Just make sure you bring a spoon; you might want to eat the leftovers. Oh, and put leftovers in a glass container to keep it fresh longer.
- Love it. Pumpkin is a known aphrodisiac. Mix your leftover pumpkin with some essential oils or sensual spices and heat it with a warming candle by your bedside to fragrance the room and amp up the passion.
RELATED: 7 Sex-Drive Foods to Boost Your Libido
- Freeze it. Sometimes, you just want to be done with the leftover canned pumpkin. We get it. But don’t toss it, freeze it! Pour it into an ice cube tray, then, after it freezes, save the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer. You’ll never be pumpkin-less again, and you’ll actually have smaller portions ready to roll for your next pumpkin recipe.
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The Nutritious Life Editors are a team of healthy lifestyle enthusiasts who not only subscribe to — and live! — the 8 Pillars of a Nutritious Life, but also have access to some of the savviest thought leaders in the health and wellness space — including our founder and resident dietitian, Keri Glassman. From the hottest trends in wellness to the latest medical science, we stay on top of it all in order to deliver the info YOU need to live your most nutritious life.
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