Tag: pumpkin seeds

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Pumpkin Spice Bread for your Meatless Monday (DF)

If you missed my last Meatless Monday post for Vegan Pumpkin Soup, then you also likely missed me gushing over this fall gourd’s health benefits. Pumpkins get their orange hue from beta carotene which your body converts into vitamin A–essential for good eye sight and a healthy heart–as well as disease fighting vitamin K and powerful antioxidants. Like last week, the recipe I’ve created for you today uses canned organic pumpkin. According to  Greatist, one cup of  the canned stuff has 7g of fiber and 3g of protein—that’s more than two times the fiber and 50% more protein than pulling it fresh from the pumpkin patch. Mixing in a hearty portion of raw pumpkin seeds will add a powerful dose of essential minerals including zinc, potassium and magnesium—great for muscle recovery and healthy bones, hair and skin!

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I don’t have to tell you how tasty Pumpkin Bread is, but mine amps up the health factor without compromising on texture and flavor. I made some simple swaps, including coconut oil and apple sauce instead of butter, to make it dairy-free and more figure-friendly. The result is a moist, seasonal bread that can be treated like dessert or a special breakfast treat.

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What You’ll Need:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup raw cane or coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil
  • 4 oz apple sauce
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cans (15-oz each) pureed organic pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

How to Make It:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
  3. In your mixer’s bowl, beat together the sugar, molasses, coconut oil, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla. Add the pureed pumpkin and mix until combined. Lastly, add the dry ingredients a little at a time, whipping until smooth.
  4. Fold in the toasted pumpkin seeds by hand then transfer the contents into a non- stick 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan and 4 small ramekins or 12 cup cupcake pan, filling two-thirds of the way in whichever pan(s) you choose. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.
  5. Bake for 1 h 20 min, at which point a toothpick stuck into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Let cool for at least 20 min before slicing. If you went with muffin tins, up the temperature to 325 F and bake for only 35 min (the same clean toothpick test applies).
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Avoid the Travel Trap & Pack Your Snacks

If you have a job like mine where you travel regularly, it can be hard to maintain a healthy diet when it comes time to hit the road (or skies). You no longer have the guarantee of a refrigerator to store fresh food, a good grocery store to purchase fruits and veggies, or a stove to prepare your own meals. Most of the time you will be forced to eat out and make the best choices possible. One way to avoid ordering a massive meal every time you sit down is to bring along your own snacks. Keeping tasty and nutritious snacks on hand will help keep you satisfied in between meals so you don’t become blinded by hunger, throwing your normally healthy habits out the door. Below are some of my favorite snacks to pick up before a long plane ride (such as the one I’m on as you’re reading this) or a day of racing around to different meetings with no time for a break.

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To honor spring and healthy, beautiful skin, I packed these tasty detoxifying snacks:

1. Pepitas: Also known as pumpkin seeds, pepitas are one of my go-tos for skin detox. Pumpkin seeds are packed with the beautifying mineral, zinc, and essential fatty acids including omegas 3, 6, and 9. They also help reduce inflammation in the body.

Go for the raw, unsalted variety to get all the benefits without any added down-sides.

2. Edamame Hummus w/ Baby Carrots and Radishes: Baby Carrots are plentiful in skin-beautifying Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Vitamin A is found in many skin creams and treatments in the form of retinol, but ingesting it is still the best way to get that glow from the inside out.  Radishes are high in sulfur, silicon, and Vitamin C, which work together to boost collagen, strengthen skin, and stimulate the circulatory system. And Edamame Hummus from Trader Joe’s? Well that’s just darn tasty.

3. KIND Bars: I love KIND Bars because they are gluten-free, and most varieties are also wheat- and dairy-free. They are non-GMO, have simple and natural ingredients, and boast at least 5g of dietary fiber (approximately 20% of your RDA). They are delicious and more satisfying than chalky protein bars with a million ingredients.

So before your next trip, stock up on the good stuff and arrive at your destination feeling a heck of a lot better than if you’d gone for that blueberry muffin or five-dollar foot-long.