4 healthy ways to get your pumpkin fix

From soups to smoothies to muffins, fall has become the season of pumpkin and pumpkin spice. If you’re wanting that warm sweetness, check out these four flavorsome and healthy recipes. Simple to make and packed with nutrients, they’re guaranteed to sate your pumpkin craving.

Real pumpkin is a good source of fiber, which supports a healthy gut and helps to satisfy hunger. It’s also rich in vitamin A, key to the health of your eyes, immune system, and reproductive system. 

This hearty cold-weather soup takes just 30 minutes prepare. Thanks largely to rich pumpkin puree and creamy white beans, it contains 7 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein per 1-cup serving, along with most of your recommended daily value of vitamin A.

When autumn weekends are jam-packed with outdoor activities, having healthy on-the-go snacks is key. So, combine some almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and—if you've got some left over from pumpkin carving—pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, a mineral important to the health of nerves, muscles, and bones.

Lightly coat your selection with cooking spray, then toss them in 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Cook in the oven at 325°F until toasted and brown. The healthy fats and protein in the nuts and seeds can help stave off cravings through busy fall afternoons.

This mouth-watering pumpkin spice smoothie is rich in fiber and potassium from pumpkin puree and banana, with a boost of protein from almond butter. Potassium is a mineral that helps to control blood pressure and plays a role bone health, among other benefits. 

Get into the autumn spirit with these banana-chocolate muffins, with pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top for crunch. The recipe uses whole-wheat flour and flaxseeds for extra fiber. It also cuts back on the amount of vegetable oil used in many muffin recipes, instead using yogurt and mashed ripe bananas for moisture.