The seasonal snack: Healthy pumpkin spice recipes
If you’ve stepped into a Starbucks lately, you’re aware that it’s pumpkin spice season. While a pumpkin spice latte or scone may be delicious, they are calorie-laden and not particularly nutritious. While we’re not against the occasional treat, most runners don’t want to get into a PSL-a-day habit.
Here we have a list of the best healthy pumpkin spice recipes, so that you can get your fix without all the excess sugar and fat. Enjoy pumpkin spice season and still stay on track (regarding nutrition and healthy eating) for your next big race with these nutritious pumpkin spice recipes.
1) Pumpkin spice quinoa breakfast cookie
These cookies contain healthy ingredients like quinoa and flaxseed, without sacrificing their treat status. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea as an afternoon snack.
2) Pumpkin spice baked oatmeal
Baked oatmeal is pretty much this amazing hybrid of a bowl of oatmeal and a muffin. With a dollop of yogurt on top, this breakfast is a perfect pre-run meal.
At under 105 calories a slice, this loaf packs much less of a calorie punch than many cafe offerings. This recipe also works with butternut squash, if you’re feeling adventurous with your autumn produce!
Trail mix is a perfect snack to have on hand at work or school to prevent mid-afternoon “hangriness” (hunger + anger = “hanger”) that we runners are so susceptible to. Walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries and raisins come together to create a perfect sweet-meets-satisfying snack
Make this Greek yogurt based pumpkin pie dip, slice up some apple and voila, you’ll be able to enjoy two of fall’s best food offerings at the same time!
6) Pumpkin spice green smoothie
In this day and age, slipping green goodness into all of your food seems to be the health trend of choice. If you’re not ready to jump onto the full-on green smoothie bandwagon, try out this pumpkin spice green smoothie.
Smoothie lovers can test out fall flavours with this healthy pumpkin spice smoothie, made by blending frozen banana, pumpkin and almond milk!
Since we haven’t quite reached cool fall temperatures yet, this cold pumpkin and coffee offering is the perfect treat. This ingenious recipe involves freezing a milk and pumpkin mixture into ice cubes before blending, to ensure that frappuccino texture. Yum. This recipe is way healthier and less-expensive than its store-bought equivalent.
9) Gluten-free pumpkin waffles
Who doesn’t love starting their weekend off with homemade waffles? And runners know that post-long run waffles are the BEST kind of waffles out there. Try these pumpkin spice ones on your last big long run before your fall race, to get you into that autumn road racing mindset.
These muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free, making them a delectable and nutritious way to start the day. Naturally sweetened with applesauce and honey, you’ll want to make this recipe all year round.
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