America’s Favorite Drink: Sugar?
Posted on | August 22, 2010 | No Comments
I don’t usually forward things that show up in my inbox, but this one really made me think. If you buy something to drink while you’re out for the day, make sure to scrutinize the label. If it doesn’t have a label, you might want to pass. Perhaps bringing a water from home would be the safest choice.
This list has some nice sugar equivalent comparisons. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the products used, keep in mind that one
teaspoon of sugar would contains 4 grams. That’s the type of teaspoon used in baking, NOT a heaping spoon like what you use to eat your cereal, by the way.
20 Worst Drinks in America 2010
20. Worst Water
Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
150 calories
0 g fat
33 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair BarsWhile “Worst Water” may sound like an oxymoron, the devious minds in the bottled beverage industry have even found a way to besmirch the sterling reputation of the world’s most essential compound. Sure, you may get a few extra vitamins, but ultimately, you’re paying a premium price for gussied-up sugar water. Next time you buy a bottle of water, check the recipe: You want two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, and very little else.
19. Worst Bottled Tea
SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
240 calories
0 g fat
61 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry PieLeave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert. The Pepsi owned company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir,” is marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled. Just like this bottle of green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary ingredients: water and sugar.
18. Worst Energy Drink
Rockstar Energy Drink (1 can, 16 fl oz)
280 calories
0 g fat
62 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed DoughnutsNone of the energy provided by these full-sugar drinks could ever justify the caloric load, but Rockstar’s take is especially frightening. One can provides nearly as much sugar as half a box of Nilla Wafers. In fact, it has 60 more calories than the same amount of Red Bull and 80 more than a can of Monster. If you’re going to guzzle, better choose one of the low-cal options. We like Monster; it offers all the caffeine and B vitamins with just enough sugar to cut through the funky extracts.
17. Worst Bottled Coffee
Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino (1 bottle, 13.7 fl oz)
290 calories
4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
45 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla WafersWith an unreasonable number of calorie landmines peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your belt buckle. Guess not. This drink has been on our radar for years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee with more sugar. Consider this-along with Starbucks’ miniature Espresso and Cream Doubleshot-your worst option for a morning pickup.
16. Worst Soda
Sunkist (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
320 calories
0 g fat
84 g sugarsSugar Equivalent: 6 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches
Wait… but aren’t all sodas equally terrible? It’s true they all earn 100 percent of their calories from sugar, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still varying levels of atrocity. Despite the perception of healthfulness, fruity sodas tend to carry more sugar than their cola counterparts, and none make that more apparent than the tooth-achingly sweet Sunkist. But what seals the orange soda’s fate on our list of worsts is its reliance on the artificial colors yellow 6 and red 40-two chemicals that may be linked to behavioral and concentration problems in children.
15. Worst Beer
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (1 bottle, 12 fl oz)
330 calories
0 g fat
32.1 g carbohydrates
9.6% alcohol
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 12-pack of Michelob UltraMost beers carry fewer than 175 calories, but even your average extra-heady brew rarely eclipses 250. That makes Sierra’s Bigfoot the undisputed beast of the beer jungle. Granted, the alcohol itself provides most of the calories, but it’s the extra heft of carbohydrates that helps stuff nearly 2,000 calories into each six-pack. For comparison, Budweiser has 10.6 grams of carbs, Blue Moon has 13, and Guinness Draught has 10. Let’s hope the appearance of this gutinducing guzzler in your fridge is as rare as encounters with the fabled beast himself.
14. Worst Kids’ Drink
Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
340 calories
0 g fat
60 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: Two 7-ounce canisters Reddi-wipDon’t let Tropicana’s reputation for unadulterated OJ lead you to believe that the company is capable of doing no wrong. As a Pepsi subsidiary, it’s inevitable that they’ll occasionally delve into soda-like territory. The Twister line is just that: a drink with 10 percent juice and 90 percent sugar laced with a glut of artificial flavors and coloring. You could actually save 200 calories by choosing a can of Pepsi instead.
13. Worst Functional Beverage
Arizona Rx Energy (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories
0 g fat
83 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Cinnamon Roll Pop-TartsObviously Arizona took great pains in making sure this can came out looking like something you’d find in a pharmacy. But if your pharmacist ever tries to sell you this much sugar, he should have his license revoked. And if it’s energy you’re after, this isn’t your best vehicle. Caffeine is the only compound in the bottle that’s been proven to provide energy, and the amount found within is about what you’d get from a weak cup of coffee.
12. Worst Juice Imposter
Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories
0 g fat
81 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 7 bowls of Froot LoopsThe twisted minds at the Arizona factory outdid themselves with this nefarious concoction, a can the size of a bazooka loaded with enough of the sweet stuff to blast your belly with 42 sugar cubes. The most disturbing part isn’t that it masks itself as some sort of healthy juice product (after all, hundreds of products are guilty of the same crime), but that this behemoth serving size costs just $.99, making its contents some of the cheapest calories we’ve ever stumbled across.
11. Worst Espresso Drink
Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
660 calories
22 g fat (15 g saturated)
95 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 8½ scoops Edy’s Slow Churned Rich and Creamy Coffee Ice CreamHopefully this will dispel any lingering fragments of the “health halo” that still exists in coffee shops-that misguided belief that espresso-based beverages can’t do much damage. In this 20-ounce cup, Starbucks manages to pack in more calories and saturated fat than two slices of deepdish sausage and pepperoni pizza from Domino’s. That makes it the equivalent of dinner and dessert disguised as a cup of coffee. If you want a treat, look to Starbucks’ supply of sugar-free syrups; if you want a caffeine buzz, stick to the regular joe, an Americano, or a cappuccino.
10. Worst Lemonade
Auntie Anne’s Wild Cherry Lemonade Mixer (32 fl oz)
470 calories
0 g fat
110 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 11 bowls of Cookie Crisp cerealThere is no such thing as healthy lemonade, but Auntie’s line of Lemonade Mixers takes the concept of hyper-sweetened juice and stretches it to dangerous new levels. See, sugar digests faster than good-for-you nutrients like protein and fiber, which means it’s in your blood almost immediately after you swallow it. Drinking the 3 or 4 days’ worth of added sugar found here jacks your blood sugar and results in strain to your kidneys, the creation of new fat molecules, and the desire to eat more. Ouch.
9. Worst Hot Chocolate
Starbucks White Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
520 calories
16 g fat (11 g saturated)
75 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9 Strawberry Rice Krispie TreatsSee that stack of Rice Krispie Treats? It’s just three treats shy of two full boxes. Unless you were a contestant on Fear Factor – and there was a sizeable monetary prize on the line – you’d never even consider noshing down that much sugar at once. But here’s what’s interesting: While that stack is the sugar counterpart to this atrocity from Starbucks, it still has 40 percent less saturated fat. Makes us wonder what’s going on in the hot chocolate. Stick to beverages with single-flavor profiles instead of pile-on recipes like this and you’ll fare better every time.
8. Worst Frozen Coffee Drink
Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte (24 fl oz)
870 calories
24 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans)
112 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 12 Dunkin’ Donuts Bavarian Kreme DoughnutsCoffee-dessert hybrids are among the worst breed of beverages. This one delivers 1 gram of fat and 4.6 grams of sugar in every ounce, making even Starbucks’ over-the-top line of Frappuccinos look like decent options. Maybe that’s why DQ decided to give it a name that alludes to the animal it promises to turn you into. If you can bring yourself to skip DQ and head to a coffee shop instead, order a large iced latte with a couple shots of flavored syrup and save some 600 calories. But if you’re stuck where you are, you’re better off pairing a small treat with a regular cup of joe.
7. Worst Margarita
Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita (24 fl oz)
890 calories
0 g fat
183 g carbohydrates
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 7 Almond Joy candy barsOf all the egregious beverages we’ve analyzed, the Lobsterita surprised us the most. The nation’s biggest fish purveyor is one of the few big players in the restaurant biz to provide its customers with a wide selection of truly healthy food options. We would hope they’d do the same with the beverages, but obviously not. Drink one of these every Friday night and you’ll put on more than a pound of flab each month. Downgrade to a regular margarita on the rocks and pocket the remaining 640 calories.
6. Worst Float
Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Soda (large, 28.6 fl oz)
960 calories
40 g fat (25 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
136 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9.7 Fudgsicle fudge barsDone right, an ice cream float can be a decent route to indulgence. Go to A&W and you’ll land a medium for fewer than 400 calories. Order it with diet soda and you’ve dropped below 200 calories. So why can’t Baskin-Robbins make even a small float with fewer than 470 calories? Because apparently the chain approaches the art of beverage-crafting as a challenge to squeeze in as much fat and sugar as possible. Whatever you order, plan on splitting it with a friend.
5. Worst Frozen Fruit Drink
Krispy Kreme Lemon Sherbet Chiller (20 fl oz)
980 calories
40 g fat (36 g saturated)
115 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 16 medium-size chocolate eclairsImagine taking a regular can of soda, pouring in 18 extra teaspoons of sugar, and then swirling in half a cup of heavy
cream. Nutritionally speaking, that’s exactly what this is, which is how it manages to marry nearly 2 days’ worth of saturated fat with enough sugar to leave you with a serious sucrose hangover. Do your heart a favor and avoid any of Krispy Kreme’s “Kremey” beverages. The basic Chillers aren’t the safest of sippables either, but they’ll save you up to 880 calories.4. Worst Frozen Mocha
Così Double Oh! Arctic Mocha (gigante, 23 fl oz)
1,210 calories
19 g fat (10 g saturated)
240 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 41 Oreo CookiesA frozen mocha will never be a stellar option, but we’ve still never come across anything that competes with this cookie-coffeemilkshake hybrid from Così. Essentially it’s a mocha Blizzard made with Oreo cookies and topped with whipped cream and an oversize Oreo. The result is a beverage with more calories than two Big Macs and more sugar than any other drink in America.
3. Worst Drive-Thru Shake
McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake (large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated, 2 g trans)
168 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 13 McDonald’s Baked Hot Apple PiesThere are very few milk shakes in America worthy of your hard-earned calories, but few will punish you as thoroughly as this Mickey D’s drive-thru disaster. Not only does it have more than half your day’s caloric and saturated fat allotment and more sugar than you’d find in Willy Wonka’s candy lab, but Ronald even finds a way to sneak in a full day of cholesterol-spiking trans fat. The scariest part about this drink is that it’s most likely America’s most popular milk shake.
2. Worst Smoothie
Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (large, 40 fl oz)
1,498 calories
44 g fat (8 g saturated)
214 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 20 Reese’s Peanut Butter CupsIf Smoothie King wants someone to blame for landing this high on our worst beverages roundup (and truth be told, its entire menu is riddled with contenders), the chain should point the smoothie straw at whichever executive came up with the cup-sizing structure. Sending someone out the door with a 40-ounce cup should be a criminal offense. Who really needs a third of a gallon of sweetened peanut butter blended with grape juice, milk, and bananas? Sugar-and-fat-loaded smoothies like this should be served from 12-ounce cups, not mini kegs.
1. Worst Beverage in America
Cold Stone PB&C (Gotta Have It size, 24 fl oz)
2,010 calories
131 g fat (68 g saturated)
153 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 30 Chewy Chips Ahoy CookiesIn terms of saturated fat, drinking this Cold Stone catastrophe is like slurping up 68 strips of bacon. Health experts recommend capping your saturated fat intake at about 20 grams per day, yet this beverage packs more than three times that into a cup the size of a Chipotle burrito. But here’s what’s worse: No regular shake at Cold Stone, no matter what the size, has fewer than 1,000 calories. If you must drink your ice cream, make it one of the creamery’s “Sinless” options. Otherwise you’d better plan on buying some bigger pants on the way home.
As if these totals aren’t bad enough as-is, I noticed that some of them are probably even worse if you order them without making any changes. For example, in the Worst Hot Chocolate category (#9), the calories are stated to be 520. According to Starbucks website, that seems to be closest to what you’d get by ordering this drink with nonfat milk. If you don’t specify which type of milk you want at Starbucks, I believe they use 2%. When I changed the values to reflect 2% milk, the calories went up to 590 and the fat increased to 23 grams!
What do you think of the #1 entry? All of your calories for the day and very little of the nutrition! Do you think that a 24-oz. drink would keep you full for the entire day? How much exercise would it take to burn off that 131 grams of fat? That’s more than double what anyone should consume in one day and more than quadruple the amount that many of us aim for in a 24 hour period!
Avoid Products Made With Peanut Butter (Salmonella Outbreak)
Posted on | January 17, 2009 | No Comments
Salmonella Recall Related to Peanuts
On Saturday, January 16, the U.S. FDA advised consumers to avoid products made with peanut butter. At this time, the scope of the salmonella outbreak is unknown. However, it has sickened over 450 people in 43 states as of yesterday. Ninety people have been hospitalized and six people have died.
The peanut butter sold in jars at your local store is likely okay. At this time, the source appears to be coming from peanut butter and peanut paste that is produced by Peanut Corp. of America and sold directly to manufacturers for the making of their products. Manufacturers that may be affected include Kellogg’s Keebler products, Hy-Vee’s bakeries, Perry’s Ice Cream and probably many others. At this time, the FDA is still investigating and urges consumers to avoid eating peanut butter containing products until further information is available.
For more information:
* FDA Updates (http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html)
* NPR Article
* Kellog’s Recall Press Release (1/16/2009)
* Peanut Corporation of America Press Release (1/16/2009)
* FAQ for Consumers
Z’s Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Posted on | January 4, 2009 | No Comments
This is a dish that I throw together quite often. I don’t have exact amounts for most of it because it just depends on what looks good to me at the time or how much is in the fridge. This is a very flexible recipe, so just add ingredients to suit your taste.
1 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
vegetable broth
creole or Cajun seasoning, optional
1 can of beans (black or kidney beans work well)
1 cucumber
1/4 chopped cilantro, sometimes more
1/2 bunch green onions
3-4 Roma tomatoes
jalapeno, optional
3-4 T lime juice
chili powder
ground cumin
garlic
salt and pepper
vinegar
chipotle powder, optional
1. Toast quinoa seeds over medium heat for a few minutes. The quinoa is ready after it starts popping and looks lightly toasted. Stir continuously, so it doesn’t burn. Rinse VERY well. Quinoa can be bitter if it is not rinsed well enough.
2. Cook the quinoa according to package directions. I use a rice cooker for this and use 1 1/2 c dry quinoa with 2 cups of water or vegetable broth. Usually I add some creole or cajun seasoning to the liquid as well.
3. When the quinoa is done, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add in:
- beans, rinsed and drained
- chopped cucumbers (I leave the peeling on.)
- minced cilantro
- chopped green onions (I cut the whole bunch at once with some scissors.)
- chopped jalapeno, if using
4. Toss well to mix everything. Add in the seasonings:
- lime juice
- cumin
- a light amount of garlic
- chili powder
- a drizzle of vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
- chipotle powder, if using
5. Toss well. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Lastly, gently stir in the chopped tomatoes.
6. Chill and serve.
Note: This is also good with couscous or rice, so if you don’t have quinoa, try it with one of those instead. When I take this to potlucks, I leave out the chipotle and jalapeno so they won’t be too spicy. This recipe fills my 2-quart casserole dish and probably serves 8-10 people.
Lychee Dressing (or use as a fruit dip)
Posted on | December 15, 2008 | No Comments
I love lychees, but rarely get them fresh. They aren’t readily available here and many people aren’t familiar with this tasty Asian fruit. When I spotted a can of them while browsing the aisles of a local Asian store, I was thrilled. My track record with canned fruits hasn’t been all that great, so I only bought a single can. Now I wish I’d filled my basket with this treat! I ate a few of them plain and then turned the rest of them into this mildly sweet, delicious dressing.
Lychee Dressing
1 20-ounce can of lychees, drained (reserve the liquid)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup cashews or pine nuts
1/4 cup lychee juice (or the liquid reserved from your can)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt – optional
1 tsp finely minced ginger
1/2 cup tofu (I used the Firm water packed type)
Blend all ingredients until smooth. If the dressing is too thin, add a few more nuts. If it’s too thick, add some additional lychee juice.
This was great on a bed of romaine topped with garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds, orange slices and craisins. The Little One preferred to use it as a fruit dip for her banana which was a great combination also. I think I would thicken the dressing a bit more if it had been intended to be a fruit dip – which it certainly will when we get some more lychees!
Eat For Health – Dr. Fuhrman Video
Posted on | December 12, 2008 | No Comments
Under the favorite authors section of the blog, there is a link to Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s site. I have his Eat To Live book and it really changed the way my family thought about food and health. Now there is a set of two books called Eat For Health available as well. This newer books help you ease into a healthier way of eating by doing it in four stages. Here’s a video from Dr. Fuhrman:
If you would like to order the books or learn more about them, here is a link to the set.
Eat For Health (2 book set)
a 2-book set by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Basic Reduced Fat Hummus
Posted on | December 9, 2008 | No Comments
I love hummus, but have avoided it in restaurants because of the amount of olive oil used. While it’s true that olive oil is considered a “good fat”, I still don’t want excessive fat in my diet. When I made hummus at home, although it tasted great, I never got the same smooth consistency that the restaurants offered. Now, I am getting that extra smooth hummus by using beans cooked from scratch and making the hummus in the Vitamix instead of in my food processor. I cook the beans longer than the suggested time, so they are softer than I might otherwise want for most recipes.
This makes a great dip for carrots, celery, cucumber sticks, pita wedges or tortilla chips. It’s also great spread on a pita or other sandwich. One of my favorites is toasted whole wheat bread spread with hummus and topped with cucumbers, tomatoes and some sprouts or a thin slice of avocado. Here’s my basic hummus recipe, but the ingredients are very flexible, so try whatever variations sound good.
Basic Reduced Fat Hummus
15 ounce can of garbanzo beans
OR 280 grams of garbanzo beans cooked from dried beans
2 T tahini
4 T lemon juice
1 T minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt, optional
1/4 tsp pepper
Blend all ingredients until smooth. This should keep well in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days, but ours doesn’t usually last that long.
Z’s Almond Milk
Posted on | December 5, 2008 | No Comments
In an attempt to make an almond milk that my family liked and that didn’t have some of the additives we were seeing the the store bought varieties, we came up with this. If you don’t have a vitamix blender, you might have to use more nuts or less water. With the vitamix and soaking the nuts, we get a nice, thick milk using less than most recipes call for.
Z’s Almond Milk
1/2 c raw or blanched almonds
2-3 brazil nuts or a small handful of pine nuts
1-2 medjool dates, depending on how sweet you like it
a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
dash of salt
* Soak all ingredients for at least 2 hours. I usually leave them soaking for 8 hours or even overnight in the fridge.
* Put everything in the blender container (including the soak water) and add water up to the 1 liter mark.
* Start blender on low, quickly ramp up speed and switch to high. Run on high for 60-90 seconds.
* (optional) Pour through a strainer and it’s done. I set out a large bowl and place a metal colander type of strainer over it. Line the metal strainer with the muslin and pour milk through it. Gather up the sides and squeeze any remaining liquid through the strainer. What’s left will be almost a play dough consistency of almond bits. This can be composted or added to muffins or smoothies.
This recipe makes slightly over a quart and is good for 4-5 days when kept in the fridge.
Almond note: If you use blanched almonds, you’ll get a whiter milk since they don’t have the skins. Another option, although time consuming, is to squeeze the almond slightly, in order to slide off the skin. I did this once in an attempt to see if it made a difference in flavor or color. The flavor was almost the same and the color was lighter than my usual creation.
Strainer notes: My first strainer was a cotton/muslin blend that came in as a tofu making kit. I used it for years until it started to develop holes. Now I am using some muslin bought from the fabric store. If you choose this method and find that your fabric store has different thread-counts of muslin available, you’ll probably want the lower thread count. We use about an 18″ square size. Another option is to purchase a nut milk bag. I have one, but prefer the end result of the muslin.
Rice Cooker Pasta
Posted on | December 2, 2008 | No Comments
Sometimes I need a quick lunch for just two people. If I don’t have much time in the kitchen, this meal can be made with less than 5 minutes of prep. I use a 5.5 cup, fuzzy logic rice cooker and the following amounts are perfect for it. Other sized cookers might require differing amounts of liquid.
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Rice Cooker Pasta
2 cups whole grain pasta
2 cups water
1 cup sauce
Add ingredients to the rice cooker. If desired, add some seasonings or a 1/2 cup of veggies.
Start the rice cooker on the regular setting. Check before it turns off as it may be finished a little early.
If needed, the sauce can be thickened with flour or a sprinkling of mochiko.
NOTE: I usually use rotini or penne pasta, but other types should work as well. For the sauce, try one of the following ideas or make up your own.
* White Mushroom Sauce – Use some ranch of Caesar dressing (I use a homemade Vegan Caesar), some sweet and sour sauce, garlic, water and a 4 ounce can of mushrooms, pureed.
* Simple Red – Just use a cup of spaghetti sauce. If desired, add some mushrooms, diced onions and/or bell pepper.
* Pizza Pasta – Use a scant cup of pizza sauce mixed with some of your favorite pizza toppings.
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Posted on | November 24, 2008 | No Comments
I’ve been making things with pumpkin lately and we had some leftover that needed to be used. Our daily oatmeal breakfast would be boring if we weren’t always playing with the ingredients. Mix those and you end up with pumpkin oatmeal.
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c vanilla soy milk
1/4 c pumpkin puree
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T agave syrup
Toppings (choose from pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, almond butter, peanut butter or raisins)
Blend everything but the toppings and oats into a puree. The Magic Bullet made quick work of this. Put the oats in a microwave safe bowl, stir in the mix you just blended up. Microwave until done, stirring every 30 seconds so the oats don’t overflow. This usually takes 60 seconds in my microwave.
Top with some pumpkin seeds and craisins or maybe 1/2 T of almond butter and some raisins.
Chipotle Pumpkin Soup
Posted on | November 19, 2008 | 1 Comment
It’s autumn and it’s cold out. I enjoy seasonal recipes and wanted to try something new, so pumpkin came to mind. When I thought of pumpkin, the first thing to pop into my head was pumpkin pie, followed by pumpkin scones, followed by pumpkin cookies. It seems that we’re pretty good at turning pumpkin into dessert, but then it’s probably not quite so healthy for me, right? I decided to try a savory, spicy pumpkin soup instead.
Why pumpkin? Well, like I said, it’s autumn. Pumpkin is also quite nutritious. A half cup serving only has 40 calories and half a gram of fat, yet it is loaded Vitamin A, has 5 grams of fiber, no cholesterol and next to no sodium. One serving provides more than a days worth of Vitamin A, most of it in the form of the carotenoid, “beta-carotene”, an antioxidant. Vitamin A is good for your vision, helping to prevent night blindness, and necessary for cell growth and maintenance of skin tissue. It also promotes bone and tooth development.
Chipotle Pumpkin Soup
This recipe for a warm, spicy, low-fat soup is tasty, nutritious and quick to make.4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T chili powder (start with less and adjust to your taste at the end of cooking)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp chipotle powder (use less to start and adjust to your taste at the end of cooking)
15 ounces pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup salsa1. In a 2-quart pan, saute the garlic and onion for 3-5 minutes in about 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Stir often.
2. Add the seasonings and saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Slowly add and mix together, the broth and pumpkin puree.
4. Add the beans, corn and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Serve with bread or rice. Rice could be added directly to the bowl.
Cooking notes: If you don’t have vegetable broth, use 4 cups of water and 2 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes. Go light on the seasonings at first and add more at the end of cooking if you want it to be spicier. If you don’t have fresh pumpkin puree, use a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree, but be sure that the only ingredient is pumpkin. Using the type with the pumpkin pie spices would give you some strange tasting soup! This was great with only 1/4 c chipotle salsa and the addition of 1/2 c diced tomatoes with green chiles.
More info:
Tags: autumn, beta-carotene, chipotle, Nutrition, pumpkin, recipe, soup, vegan, vitamin A