Another fall recipe…

MMMK… But are we REALLY surprised??

Seriously!! I’m obsessed with all things pumpkin.

Every Thanksgiving, I treat myself to a sliver of pumpkin pie with an aggressive amount of low fat whip on top…

I like to bury my pumpkin pie in whipped cream. Kinda like when you go to a restaurant and the waiter asks you when he should stop shaving parm on your noodles…

..and you don’t stop until your pasta is under a mound of parm.

Another thing I love about pumpkin pie ( ASIDE from the fact that it is a great base for a bowl of whipped cream ) is that it is one of the skinniest fall pies!

* cue the snaps *

While I LOVE a good slice of pumpkin pie, I felt a strong desire to crank things up a notch – especially in the fiber and omega-3 department.

I also wanted an excuse to have something pumpkin-like in the AM instead of drinking a sugary PSL. That bevvie spikes blood sugar levels due to the high amount of sugar. I like this recipe because it has chia seeds which have the opposite effect.

Chia seeds are an ancient grain that are a superb source of omega-3 fatty acids which have been associated with preventing and managing heart disease. They also are a fabulous source of dietary fiber which is beneficial for the digestive system. The chia seeds’ fiber helps lower blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar in the blood – THAT is something your PSL and slice of pumpkin pie can’t do!

Aside from the long list of benefits, chia seeds are SO fun because when combined with a liquid, they get a gel-like texture that resembles pudding. Chia seeds can absorb up to 15x water the weight of seed!! HOW CRAY IS THAT?!!

For this recipe, I would recommend swapping the low fat whipped cream for greek yogurt if you would like it for breakfast. But, if you want the whip, nobody is going to stop ya… 😉

Recipe:

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 pure pumpkin

1 cup almond milk unsweetened

1 1/2 T honest syrup maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pumpkin spice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 packet stevia

optional toppings : pecans, graham crackers, low fat whipped cream, pumpkin spice

Directions

In a medium size sauce pan, add all ingredients and stir until the chia seeds absorb all of the almond milk. Allow the chia seeds to cool and add toppings.

Whether you are craving a PSL for breakfast or a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert, this is the PERF healthy replacement. I hope you enjoy!!

xx hails

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4926888/

https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/omega-3-fish-oil-supplements-for-high-blood-pressure