Pumpkin Patch Smoothie

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

It’s time for another smoothie! I know, I know, this Pumpkin Patch Smoothie doesn’t look anything like pumpkin now does it?! Pumpkins are orange! We all know that greens are a powerful nutrient to add to our diets, but greens are also powerful in taking over the color of most of these smoothies.

I was excited to try pumpkin in a smoothie. I had a pumpkin in hiding since December in which I made a Raw Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake. I had 4 cups of pumpkin leftover, so I decided to incorporate some of it into my morning smoothie.

Soak the diced pumpkin…

Here’s the trick though…To make a raw pumpkin pie smoothie, cut into chunks and soak overnight in water with a tablespoon of lemon juice to help reduce the starchiness. As with all fresh produce, the quality, the ripeness all play an important role in making raw recipes with them.

That being said, you may need to adjust the spices or sweetener quantities. A person could use canned pumpkin if you can’t find pumpkins during certain times of the year. If you do, look for organic brands and READ the ingredient lists. Many of them are packed full of sugars and other undesired ingredients.

Smoothie Tips

Blending fruits and vegetables together breaks down the cells of plants and improves digestibility. BUT even with that, be sure to chew your smoothies. The chewing process starts the release of the saliva in your mouth. The mixture of saliva and your food is where digestion begins. This is a very healthy habit to get into. It may feel strange at first, but soon it will become an automatic response.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chia
1-2 cups water
2 cups (8 3/4 oz) raw sugar pumpkin
4 cups spinach or kale
2 carrots
1 ripe, frozen banana
1 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp NuNatural liquid stevia
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice, ground

Preparation:

Diced the pumpkin flesh into small cubes and soak overnight in a bowl of water. This will help reduce the starchiness.
Soak the chia seeds in 1 cup of water for about 15 minutes in the blender carafe. Enough for them to swell up.
- The first thing to add to your blender is the liquid. This will the greens move more freely when blending.
- Start with 1 cup. After everything is added, feel free to add more if desired.
- The more liquid you add the more watery or runnier the smoothie will be.
Add the kale. Blend until the greens are broken down.
- Blending in stages prevents chunks.
Add the drained pumpkin, carrots, banana, sweetener, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- I always recommend frozen bananas over fresh. Make a habit out of storing overripe, peeled bananas in the freezer for future smoothies.
- A dash of a high-quality salt will increase the minerals and improve the taste of your smoothie.
- A good green smoothie should be perfectly smooth.
Optional – Add ice
- Always add the ice last, otherwise, you may over blend the ice, and it will make your smoothie watery rather than frosty.
- I usually only add ice if my fruit wasn’t frozen.

Learn how to design your own smoothies by reading through my, Template for Designing Smoothie Recipes.

Star ingredient today…PUMPKIN!!

The health benefits of pumpkin include:

Pumpkin is low in fat and calories, yet high in a number of nutrients including alpha and beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, potassium, and magnesium.
Pumpkin is an excellent source of dietary fiber. A one-half cup serving contains five grams of fiber! (You can even use it as a laxative for your dog.) Fiber will help promote healthy digestion, decrease appetite, and control blood sugar.
The alpha and beta-carotene in pumpkin promote healthy eyes and help to protect immune system function.
The vitamin C in pumpkin helps to boost the immune system, fight against heart disease, and help lower blood pressure.
The vitamin E in pumpkin helps keep the skin healthy, wards away certain types of cancer, and may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Potassium will help with energy levels, keep your bones strong, and help control your blood pressure levels.
Magnesium will do many things in the body including keeping your bones strong, your immune system strong, and your heart functioning normally.
Pantothenic acid will help you manage stress and hormone levels.