First of all, I could not be more excited to have the next four days off of work - so much to do! Wedding planning has unfortunately taken the back burner and last-minute holiday preparations are keeping me busy! I love starting the day with a workout, then it doesn't get pushed aside for everything else on the never ending to-do list. Next up.... pumpkin bread! This year I had a curve ball thrown at me as I've been experimenting with a gluten-free diet to relieve my fatigue and stomach upset. While I haven't gone 100% yet, I can definitely notice a difference in GI symptoms when I avoid gluten.
On a side note about gluten-free (GF) diets... It is NOT a weight-loss or fad diet. A GF diet is the only way to treat a condition called celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which gluten damages the lining of the small intestine. There are others who are gluten intolerant, those who have difficulty or cannot digest gluten. A GF diet can actually lead to weight gain and vitamin deficiencies. While many natural foods are gluten-free, the market for processed, high calorie snacks has grown wildly over the last few years. To make a long story short, GF does not equal healthy. Anyone would gain weight eating processed cookies, cakes and pies... GF or not! And as far as vitamin deficiencies, most whole-wheat products are good sources of B vitamins and iron. So wrapping up my rant, there is no need to follow a GF diet unless it is a medical necessity and it requires a balanced diet to ensure adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals.
Anyway... the pumpkin loaf! Here is a GF recipe I found and modified it to make it healthier (my absolute favorite thing to do!)
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Serves about 16 (Makes two 9-by-5-inch loaves)
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 4 large omega-3 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened, strained applesauce**
- 1/2 cup orange juice (I even found OJ fortified with omega-3s!)
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar // 2 1/2 cups Splenda
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- Gluten-free non-stick cooking spray
*Don't have any pumpkin pie spice at home? Make your own! You'll need to multiply this recipe by 4 to get the 5 teaspoons you need for the pumpkin bread. Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
**Use a flour sifter to strain the liquid from the applesauce - if you don't, your bread will just be very moist and may take a little longer to cook. Applesauce is a wonderful substitute for oil or butter in a baking recipe; it yields a moist product and you can cut down on the sugar since it does add sweetness!
Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. In separate bowl, mix together eggs, applesauce and orange juice. Add sugar and pumpkin. Blend until thoroughly combined.
3. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Mix until ingredients are thoroughly combined and a smooth batter forms (mixing by hand will also give you a good upper body workout!). Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Remove pans from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pans and place directly on wire rack. Allow bread to cool before slicing. Store bread wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 3 to 5 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information (1/16th of recipe): 180 calories, 4.5gm fat, 2gm saturated fat, 53mg cholesterol, 395mg sodium, 40gm carbohydrate, 4gm fiber, 14gm sugar, 4.5gm protein. **Pumpkin is also a great source of vitamin A!
Also, here is the recipe I used before I went gluten-free:
Healthy Pumpkin Loaf
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour all purpose, sifted
- 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups Splenda
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 4 omega-3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin canned
- 1 cup unsweetened, strained applesauce
- 2/3 cup water
Directions:
Sift dry ingredients into large mixer bowl. Quickly add remaining liquid ingredients. Mix on medium speed only until dry ingredients are moistened. Bake in two greased 9x5x3 pans in preheated 350 oven for one hour. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.
Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite edible gifts for Christmas, or a great snack when you're on the go...enjoy!
So one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try a new vegetable at least every month. Tonight, soup is on the menu so I have a great soup recipe from the Clean Eating Cookbook that calls for collard greens. As a dietitian, I hate to admit that I couldn't even find this leafy green in the grocery store - I had to ask! To save you the effort, I'll include a picture to help with identification. Not only is this recipe healthy and delicious, it's easy and budget-friendly! This recipe also happens to provide 30% of your daily fiber intake, is a good source of iron and can easily be gluten-free. 
