Pumpkin oatmeal recipe: healthy way to have pie for breakfast

November 3, 10:05 AMKnoxville Healthy Food ExaminerElizabeth Kelly

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Pumpkin oatmeal recipe warms a chilly morning. (Liz Kelly)

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These days, we're all looking for tasty ways to add more fiber to our diets. Who would have thought that could mean pumpkin pie for breakfast?

Pumpkin, despite its frequent use as a dessert ingredient, is not just a healthy food, but a superfood. Its deep orange flesh is a dead giveaway that the pumpkin is rich in beta carotene, now known to be a major factor in helping prevent both cancer and heart disease.

And talk about fiber! One mere half cup of cooked pumpkin has five grams of fiber: more than an apple, more than most bread, and more than a whole entire cup of Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal. Combine pumpkin with your morning oatmeal, and you can double the fiber in your breakfast.

Does all this talk of fiber and nutrients make you think of bland, cardboard breakfasts? Then this recipe is the antidote to your -fashioned thinking. Adding pumpkin, spices and just a sprinkle of sugar makes a hot breakfast that honestly tastes like a morning version of pumpkin pie.

Using soy milk keeps it vegan, and while you can use your favorite regular milk if you like, the hint of vanilla from flavored soy milk makes the pumpkin oatmeal even more delicious. You can also add any of your own favorite mix-ins: almonds or raisins, for example.

The sugar can be adjusted to your own preference level, as some people like a sweeter oatmeal, while healthy eaters and dieters can get  by with just a sprinkle.

Keep leftover pumpkin in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator to have on hand when the pumpkin pie oatmeal craving hits you. In a pinch, you can even stir it into your instant oatmeal packs, but you'll find that taking the time to prepare this version is well worth the five-minute wait.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups light vanilla-flavored soy milk (Silk brand, for example)
1 cup uncooked quick oats
1/2 cup previously cooked or canned pumpkin puree
Pumpkin pie spice to taste (or cinnamon and nutmeg to taste)
Brown sugar to taste
Optional: nuts, raisins

Directions: In a saucepan, bring soy milk just to a boil and stir in oats, pumpkin and spice. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes, stirring once or twice until oats are cooked. Remove from heat and pour into bowls. Sprinkle with brown sugar and additional toppings, if desired. Serves two.

Note: You can use pumpkin pie filling if you prefer, but the sugar content will be significantly higher. Leave out the sugar and seasonings if you use pie filling for your oatmeal.

Make pumpkin pie oatmeal for your kids on a chilly morning, and you can sneak in a fruit serving that makes them feel like they're having dessert for breakfast. Or, save it for yourself, when you have a rare moment to indulge yourself --in a healthy way, of course.


Click the subheading "Recipes" below to see every healthy recipe in the Knoxville Healthy Food Examiner library.

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ekellywrites@gmail.com