Baking a pumpkin
pie has become a fall tradition — and a healthy one at
that.
"We encourage children and adults to add
pumpkin to their diet as an excellent source of vitamin A, which
also is found in carrots and other bright orange or yellow
vegetables," said Allison Morrow, a registered dietitian at Children's
Medical Center Dallas.
Pumpkins also are a great source of
fiber, potassium and iron. You can eat them year round, using canned
if you can't find fresh; canned pumpkin is still high in
nutrients.
"Children can learn lessons in the kitchen, from
reading to math and vocabulary, and it's fun," Morrow said. "When
children join parents in cooking meals and in growing or picking
produce, they become a part of the process and may be more likely to eat
these goodies."
Here's a healthy pumpkin pie recipe to
try:
Sugar-free pie crust
1/3 cup
butter-flavored Crisco
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons ice
water
Put flour and shortening into a small bowl. With two knives (or a
pastry blender), cut shortening into flour until thoroughly
mixed.
Add water and use a fork to toss quickly. Handle as
little as possible. It can be a little crumbly when you put it onto
plastic wrap.
Form a ball as you wrap it tightly and
refrigerate for 30 minutes. When ready to make the crust, sprinkle a
little flour on a large piece of plastic wrap. Put dough on the
floured wrap. Turn once to cover with flour on both sides. Cover with a
second piece of plastic wrap.
Use a rolling pin to roll
crust to fit a nine-inch pie pan. A quiche pan with a fluted edge
works well.
Pumpkin filling
1 15-ounce
canned pumpkin
1/2 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup sugar
1
teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon
nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 12-ounce can evaporated
milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk
pumpkin with egg substitute, sugar and spices. Add evaporated milk and
stir thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell.
Bake at 425
degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and keep baking
for 30 minutes longer or until tester inserted in center of pie
comes out clean. The center will get firmer as it
cools.
Makes eight servings. Each serving contains approximately 273
calories, 8 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat and 40 grams of
carbohydrates.
