I love pumpkin. Like, I want to marry it, I’m so in love with it. Thankfully, the sky is the limit when it comes to cooking and baking with pumpkin, so my betrothed and I can always be together and never get bored. From baked goods to smoothies to snacks, pumpkin is perfectly versatile. Check out the below recipes from healthy lifestyle blogger and core guru Linda LaRue for three ways to get your healthy pumpkin fix.

Late-Harvest High-Protein Pumpkin Smoothie

Yields: Four 6-oz servings
Nutritional Content: 140 calories, 0.4 g fat, 2g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 20 mg sodium

Ingredients
1 c canned pumpkin
¼ c nonfat vanilla yogurt (or reduced-fat, firm tofu if you are vegan)
2 c unsweetened apple juice
1 tbsp honey of agave
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Place the canned pumpkin, honey, pumpkin pie spice and yogurt (or reduced-fat tofu) in blender.
2. Pour in juice and process until blended well. Serve immediately. May store in refrigerator for three to four days.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Yields: Four two-pancake servings.
Nutritional Content: 90 calories, 2g fat (sat 1 g, mono 1 g, poly 0.0 g), 7g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 55 mg cholesterol, 299 mg sodium

Ingredients
1/2 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 large egg yolk
¼ c cake flour
¼ c ground flax seeds
4 large egg whites
¼ tsp salt
Nonfat cooking spray
Sugar-free maple syrup or raw agave syrup

Directions

1. Whisk together pumpkin, yogurt, baking soda, egg yolk and flour and flax seeds.
2. Whisk egg whites with salt; fold into pumpkin mixture.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon in 1/3 cup batter for each pancake. Flip when tops are covered with bubbles and edges are slightly brown (about 3 minutes per side). Drizzle with syrup—sugar-free maple or agave.

Roasted Pepitas

Yields: Six 1/4 c servings.
Nutritional Content: 186 calories, 15.82 g fat, 8.5 g protein, 6.15 g, 1.35 g fiber

Ingredients
1 ½ c pepitas (raw hulled green pumpkin seeds)
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt, divided
3 to 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

1. After carving your pumpkin, rinse the seeds in a colander using cold water, as the cold water helps get rid of the fibers from the pumpkin. Boil them in water (2 cups for every 1/2 cup of seeds) and 1/2 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.
2. Mix lime juice, pepper, cayenne and 1/2 tablespoon salt and stir until dissolved. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pepita seeds and toss frequently until seeds begin to turn light golden and expand. Add seasoned lime juice all at once and stir well to coat all seeds. Remove from heat and cool in the pan. Serve at room temperature.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin? —Jenn