It’s that time of year – pumpkin spice this, pumpkin bread that. I did a little investigating. Below are two of the most popular pumpkin items this time of year and how to make it healthier.
The number 1 offender: The Pumpkin Spice latte
This tops my list because it’s a sneaky one – you may think your drink is about 200 calories, go ahead and double that. A 16-ounce Pumpkin Spice Latte is 380-420 calories. The worst part is the 50 GRAMS OF SUGAR. That is twice the amount of recommended sugar for your entire day.
The calorie fix: first, downsize to 8 ounces, leave the whipped cream off, ask for skim or 1% milk and half the amount of syrup. You’ve just saved yourself about 300 calories (this variation runs about 100 calories).
Close in second: Pumpkin Roll Cake
Bring on the rolls! One serving (which is A LOT smaller than you think) is 370 calories and has about 43 grams of sugar.
The calorie fix: if you bake it, you get to control what’s added – try to lighten up by using ½ or ¾ the amount of sugar, replace the 12oz of cream cheese with 6oz light cream cheese and 6oz greek yogurt, and less one or two egg yolks. Voilà you’ve halved your calorie intake!
And now… the flip side! Pumpkin can be a great addition to your diet. Check out these health benefits you can receive from pumpkin.