Ever since Starbucks’s iconic pumpkin spice latte hit menus in the early 2000s (or maybe ever since the first pumpkin pie was baked in God-knows-what year?), pumpkin has practically been the official flavor of fall. Like clockwork, pumpkin-infused recipes started to hit my social feeds as soon as September 1 rolled around. Scrolling through TikTok, I encountered people incorporating the winter squash into seemingly anything and everything edible: pasta, salads, brownies—and, yes, as the title of this article would suggest, pancakes.
A few weeks ago, Steph Grasso, MS, RD, shared a recipe that puts a fun fall spin on the breakfast classic—and boosts the nutritional value too. One serving is purported to contain 30 grams of protein—a big selling point, since many experts recommend consuming around that amount at the first meal of the day. As gastroenterologist Lisa Ganjhu, DO, previously told SELF, protein helps boost satiety, keeping you full (and from “constantly thinking about lunch”). “I like to think of our body as like a car. You want to start the day with a full tank of gas,” she said.
While protein may be the star of the show in the pumpkin pancakes, the supporting cast is pretty impressive in their own right. For one, as a plant food, pumpkin is packed with fiber, a type of carb that not only helps you poop better but also plays a role in lowering cholesterol, as Rhyan Geiger, RDN, founder of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, previously told SELF. Besides fiber, it’s also rich in micronutrients like beta-carotene (an antioxidant that’s converted into vitamin A in your body); vitamin C (which keeps your skin healthy); potassium (which helps control blood pressure); and calcium (vital for bone strength).
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