Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for the Fall

Entering the fall season, we’re reminded of warm spices and hearty root vegetables that work overtime on providing vitamin A and K to our diets. There are so many delicious recipes in my cookbook that use these but I wanted to share a recipe here that’s fun and healthy. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

½ cup canned pumpkin 

1 scoop of vanilla pea protein 

½ tsp of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup 

2 Medjool dates, pitted 

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 

Zest of ½ orange 

Ice 

Directions: 

1.      Place all ingredients (except ice) into a blender and blend until smooth. Add four to five ice cubes and blend. Continue to add ice cubes to desired thickness.  

Why is this smoothie so good for you? 

·  Get pumped with pumpkin puree: Half a cup of pumpkin puree is low in calories (42), high in fiber (3.5 grams), and a great source of vitamin A and beta carotene. It is also rich in iron (1.5 milligrams), which is important to make hemoglobin and transport oxygen throughout the body, increasing your energy level.  

· Spice it up: Cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, and its naturally sweet taste is a great addition to any recipe if you want to reduce the amount of sugar that’s called for.  

· Almond alternative: Almond milk is low in calories and rich in the minerals manganese, copper, and vitamin B2 (riboflavin), all of which are important in energy production.