Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin is good for more than Pumpkin Pie, but if you like Pumpkin Pie, I’m quite sure you’ll like this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Wanting to incorporate more pumpkin in my diet, I got the idea from a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie on VegWeb, except that this one is completely different.

I can tell you I was quite wary to try it. I really didn’t want to dump an entire blender of a smoothie gone wrong. But I steeled myself and tried it anyway.

I decided to use mild lettuce for this one so it didn’t become overpowering. So here goes. If you can’t find butter lettuce, use bibb, romaine, red leaf lettuce, or even iceberg lettuce. A green that isn’t very strong or bitter.

At Halloween time, when pumpkins were abundant, I used to bake my own pumpkin and puree it. That’s really the best way to have it. Can’t get any fresher than that. But if you don’t want to go through all that bother, canned pumpkin is nearly as good. As long as it only has pumpkin and nothing else in it. Be sure to look for pumpkin puree, not the pumpkin pie mix. The mix is full of stuff you really don’t want, sugar for one. And by the way, making your own pumpkin pie from scratch is so much the better than using a canned pumpkin pie mix. But then I digress.

Health Notes

1. Pumpkin is a nutrient-dense food. Lots of nutrients mean good stuff for your body.

2. It contains Vitamin C, potassium, and great fiber. Helps with satiety, making you feel full.

3. Pumpkin is also rich in Vitamin A and good food for vision health.

4. Vitamins A and C are antioxidants and fight against cancer-causing free-radicals.

5. Consuming pumpkin helps with sleep, it’s an immune enhancer and promotes heart health.