Once upon a time, September conjured up images of children returning to school, crisp, cool mornings and the start of leaf-peeping season. But increasingly, this month brings to my mind the beginning of a newer, distinctly American tradition: the autumn Pumpkin Spice-A-Thon, in which everything from your coffee to your breakfast cereal is transformed into a cozily-seasoned comfort food.
On one hand, the in-your-face ubiquity of the pumpkin spice onslaught can lead to a knee-jerk rejection of this seasonal flavor trend. But deep down, even those of us who feel we are above being swayed by profiteering food marketers must admit that pumpkin spice is, objectively, delicious. And many of us find ourselves craving it once the leaves start turning and air becomes chill.
But with a full four-month-long pumpkin spice season, what might start as a fun fall novelty can quickly turn into an unhealthy habit. Seeing as there’s already so much to tempt us in an increasingly prolonged season of holiday indulgence, for those of us concerned about sipping and nibbling our way to a few extra inches around the waist, we have to be careful about how we scratch that pumpkin spice itch.
[See: 6 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Eat This Fall.]
So what is a closeted, health-conscious pumpkin spice aficionado to do? Here are four healthy ways to get your pumpkin spice fix without spending more than about 1 1/4 teaspoons, or 5 grams, of your daily added sugar budget — which for most people is about six teaspoons, or 24 grams:
Replace jam, honey or maple syrup with pumpkin butter. If you’re in the habit of having a daily PB&J, drizzling honey in your plain yogurt or using maple syrup to sweeten whole-grain foods, such as waffles or oatmeal, try swapping in an equivalent portion of pumpkin butter instead. Pumpkin butter is a delicious puree of cooked pumpkin with seasonal spices and a touch of added sugar.
Most available brands contain significantly less sugar than an equivalent portion of jam, honey or maple syrup. For example, 1 tablespoon of your average pumpkin butter has about 20 to 30 calories with 3 to 6 grams of sugar, though some brands certainly contain more. Compare that to an equivalent serving of your standard grape jam or strawberry jelly, which has 50 calories and 12 grams sugar, or a tablespoon of pure maple syrup, with its 50 calories, or 14 grams sugar. Even reduced-sugar jellies typically have around 8 grams of sugar, or 2 teaspoons’ worth. If you’re new to pumpkin butter, look for the lower-sugar brands, such as Kauffman’s, American Spoon and Stonewall Kitchen.
Try cinnamon-spiced pumpkin seeds. While the pumpkin spice craze centers around the orangey pumpkin flesh, those incredibly nutrient-dense pumpkin seeds are going completely ignored. Do your part to right this nutritional injustice by getting your pumpkin spice fix from some seasonally flavored pepitas — or pumpkin seeds — instead. Each 1/4 cup serving of SuperSeedz Cinnamon & Sugar flavored pumpkin seeds has only 3 grams of sugar, making them a pretty righteous way to add crunch and pumpkin flavor to your morning oatmeal, plain yogurt or home-blended trail mix. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of protein (7 grams per serving), fiber and heart-healthy magnesium, which makes them a pretty terrific addition to your dietary repertoire year round.
[See: 10 Tips for a Healthy Fall.]
Get your pumpkin spice fix from a whole-nut-based bar. Try a KIND Caramel Almond Pumpkin Spice bar if you’re feeling hangry and looking for a seasonally appropriate fix. The bar has only 5 grams of sugar, and it makes a very satisfying, highly portable 200-calorie snack. Pair one with a hard-boiled egg and it could even make a respectable on-the-go breakfast.
Replace that PSL with your own sugar-free cup of pumpkin-spiced bliss. Fancy pumpkin spice lattes are expensive and loaded with calories. There are almost 400 calories and 50 grams of sugar — that’s about 12 teaspoons worth — in a well-known coffee chain’s medium-sized pumpkin-flavored latte drink. These beverages also lure us into cafes, putting us face to face with pastry cases full of other pumpkin-spiced temptations, such as muffins, scones and moist quick breads. So if you’re a pumpkin spice lover who’s vulnerable to that 3 p.m. sweet craving — and you’d like to keep your waistline intact — you’d better have a plan to steer clear of chain cafes this season.
Here’s what I suggest: First, go online and order yourself a stash of Crio Bru’s roasted cacao beans or K-cups (you’ll need to grind the former just like you would with whole coffee beans). If you’re not familiar with this product, it makes a brewed chocolate beverage in essentially the same way that coffee is made — using a coffeemaker, French press or Keurig machine. Once brewed, the drink has no sugar and contains only about 10 calories per cup from the natural cacao bean oils.
[See: Unusual Uses for Pumpkins.]
When the craving strikes, start by brewing yourself a cup of Crio Bru using your preferred method. Next, you’ll need to doctor your steaming cup of brewed chocolate with some pumpkin spice flavor. To do this, steep a pumpkin spice-flavored tea bag in the warm chocolaty liquid, like you would if you were making a cup of tea. All the big tea brands, such as Bigelow, Republic of Tea, Celestial Seasonings and Tazo, offer such a seasonal flavor. Remove the tea bag once flavor objectives have been achieved. Finally, add a splash of your preferred milk, dairy-free creamer or half-and-half, and you’ve got a creamy, low-calorie, chocolaty beverage with no added sugar that will wrap you in enough pumpkin spice bliss to last you at least another 24 hours. At which time, you can repeat.
The author has no material affiliations with any of the companies whose products are mentioned in this article.
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How to Survive Pumpkin Spice Season, With Waistline Intact originally appeared on usnews.com
