Superfood Swap: Pumpkin Puree
Superfood Swap: Pumpkin Puree
Healthy baking can be a great way to express your creativity! Using ‘superfood’ swaps for common ingredients is a fun way to have more nutrient-dense snacks while enjoying the recipes you love.
What are superfoods? This is a fun term to highlight foods with higher amounts of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to conventional alternatives. Superfoods are not an official food group.
Superfoods, as part of a well-balanced diet, can bring about many health benefits! Try to add a variety of superfoods into your favourite meals and healthy school snacks!
Pumpkins are an example of a superfood. They are a great source of:
- Fibre: helps with regular and smooth bowel movements (1).
- Potassium: helps to improve bone health (2).
- Vitamin A: promotes eye health (3).
Bake with pumpkin to reap the benefits of a seasonal superfood! Try swapping a ¼ cup of canned or fresh pumpkin puree for any of the following:
- a ¼ cup of oil
- one large egg
- a ¼ cup of mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce
Try Goodums gluten-free Oat Chocolate Chip with Carrot cookie mix with a superfood twist!
- Swap 1 large egg (called for on-pack) with a ¼ cup of pumpkin puree, and
- Add 2 tbsp of maple syrup for a touch more sweetness
Craving more pumpkin? Check out Goodums’ Family Fun Recipes for more lunchbox-friendly ideas with hidden veggies.
For more health tips visit Goodums’ Health Blog.
Written by: Sarah Qaheri, BASc. (c)
References
- Barber, T. M., Kabisch, S., Pfeiffer, F. H., & Weickert, M. O. (2020). The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre. Nutrients, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103209
- New, S. A., Robins, S. P., Campbell, M. K., Martin, J. C., Garton, M. J., Bolton-Smith, C., Grubb, D. A., Lee, S. J., & Reid, D. M. (2000). Dietary influences on bone mass and bone metabolism: further evidence of a positive link between fruit and vegetable consumption and bone health?. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 71(1), 142–151. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.1.142
- Wu, J., Cho, E., Willett, W. C., Sastry, S. M., & Schaumberg, D. A. (2015). Intakes of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Other Carotenoids and Age-Related Macular Degeneration During 2 Decades of Prospective Follow-up. JAMA ophthalmology, 133(12), 1415–1424. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.359.