The Proof Is in the Pudding!

A lot of us have shied away from desserts like pudding but that may not be necessary. Have you ever thought about pumpkin pudding? For those of you who eat pumpkin pie without the crust you already like it! There are a ton of recipes for pumpkin pie and or pumpkin pudding (for a pie filling). Most of us only think about pumpkin in the fall but it is easy to find canned year around. If you find yourself craving a creamy tasty dessert try out this recipe and I will explain the health benefits.

1 can of pumpkin (pureed pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)
1 can of evaporated milk (nonfat is preferable)
2 large eggs
? cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (fresh grated if possible)
? tsp salt
? tsp ground cloves
? tsp ground ginger

Add all of the spices to the eggs and beat the eggs, then add the sugar and pumpkin and mix well. Then add the evaporated milk slowly while stirring. Pour into a shallow oven safe dish and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. The middle should still jiggle a little. Allow it to cool then refrigerate for a few hours, overnight would be better. It can be scooped out to put in pudding bowls or cut into squares or pie pieces (depending on your dish) and served like a pie with no crust.

This dessert is not only tasty; it can also easily become a super healthy comfort food. This pudding is extremely high in fiber. Even higher than those dry bran muffins you gave up a couple of years ago... It is super low in calories. Actually, a full one cup serving has less than 100 calories. Try finding another pudding (that tastes good) that can claim the same!

This pudding is actually diabetic friendly. It may even be able to prevent or diminish some of the long term problems caused by diabetes due to its powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants have been thought to reduce the risk of certain cancers and fight the effects of aging through destroying free radicals. Pumpkin contains both Alpha and Beta carotenes, loads of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin E. Pumpkin is quickly becoming renowned as a "super food" and it is easy to understand why!