exposing the truth about pumpkin

it all started with a simple pie. then a simple coffee. now it’s a rite of passage for the season! pumpkin pie, lattes, muffins, smoothies, soup, candies and don’t forget the décor. it’s almost impossible to get through october and november without seeing and tasting the mighty orange squash. but the truth is, it is just a vegetable!

so you stocked up. you made the muffins, dipped the biscotti and ate the pie. the pumpkin craze is over, and there are all those leftover cans still sitting in the cupboard. now what?

we figured i won! organics should take the season out of the pumpkin. besides, it’s just a vegetable like all the others, and it has a lot going for it. it has no fat, very few calories, low sugars, low carbs, about a gram of protein in every half cup of flesh and a considerable amount of vitamin a. so we saw this humble vegetable and realized how the holidays had turned it into a calorie dense, sugar monster.

i won! is reclaiming the orange squash and its nutritional value and hoping to return it to your daily diet as casually as green beans and potatoes.

of course, green beans don’t lend themselves to desserts quite so easily. the beauty about this nutritiously dense squash is it is actually really good for you. so instead of turning it into a fat filled indulgence, embrace it for it’s health properties all year long.

no longer does the pumpkin spiced latte require you to schedule an extra session with your trainer. it doesn’t have to be limited to the november morning dessert in a cup. here is a pumpkin latte that will have you drinking guiltless seconds and honoring your coffee with a little morning vegetable.

mix the following ingredients thoroughly, best in a blender.

• 8 oz / 1 cup of your favorite non-dairy milk (full fat coconut milk is amazingly rich, and vanilla almond milk is a bit more subtle)

• 4 rounded tablespoons / ¼ cup packed pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

• 1 heaping teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

• 1 – 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

keep it in the fridge and add to your daily coffee as you choose. if it’s just for you, add your sweetener to the mix, but if it’s shared, add maple syrup to each cup per desired sweetness and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon for bonus flavor and flash. now you’ve tackled one serving of vegetables in your day.

be sure to serve it up with i won! organics cinnamon french toast chips for a truly healthy café morning well into June!