By Jennie Norton, MS, RDN, CD, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at our Auburn, Burien, Lake Stevens and Puyallup Clinics.
The convenience of preparing a quick, balanced breakfast in the microwave can be incredibly important on weekday mornings when you’re rushing to get yourself and your family fed in a timely fashion. About two years ago, I dove into two Hungry Girl cookbooks, “300 Under 300” and “Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World,” and discovered the concept of the mug breakfast. Namely, combine a few ingredients in a large mug, microwave the contents for one to two minutes, garnish your creation, and sit down to a hot breakfast. Thus began my obsession with playing with a base recipe for a mug muffin and adding various ingredients to it for different flavor combinations.
Every autumn, I rejoin the “pumpkin spice cult” and try to bake all the pumpkin recipes. This year, I added chai spice to several of my efforts. This recipe features pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and persimmons.
The Power of Pumpkin
Pumpkin is an incredibly healthy and versatile vegetable. It can be added to a wide range of sweet and savory dishes, such as soup, chowder, chili, curry, muffins, bread, and pancakes. Its bright orange or yellow flesh is a telltale sign of its rich antioxidant beta-carotene content.
Per 100 grams of pumpkin flesh, there are:
- 30 calories
- 9 mg of vitamin C
- 21 mg of calcium
- 300 mg of potassium
- 12 mg of magnesium
- 44 mg of phosphorus
- 0.5 g of fiber
Additionally, all the components of a pumpkin (seeds, flesh, skin, and leaves) carry nutritional value and offer different combinations of:
- Beta-carotene: an antioxidant that helps protect your body against cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin: plant compounds that reduce the risk of age-related eyesight degeneration and cataracts.
- Vitamin E: a fat-soluble antioxidant that supports the immune system and blood vessel dilation.
- Vitamin C: a water-soluble antioxidant that improves the absorption of iron in the body and works with vitamin E to fortify the immune system.
- Phytosterols: plant compounds that have a similar structure to cholesterol and may help reduce low-density lipoprotein in the blood to support cholesterol levels and heart health.
- Selenium: a mineral that has important roles in thyroid function, building DNA, and reproduction.
- Linoleic Acid: when consumed in moderate amounts, it is an essential omega-6 fatty acid that helps with heart health and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis in the arteries
Functional Foods: Pumpkin and Whey Protein
Pumpkin and whey protein are functional foods that offer benefits beyond basic nutrition. Studies suggest that adding pumpkin flour to baked goods or combining pumpkin puree with fruit juice can enhance their health benefits and flavor. Similarly, whey protein – a key ingredient in Krusteaz Protein Buttermilk Pancake Mix, the base I use for this recipe – is a functional food with a host of advantages.
Whey protein is rich in the branched-chain amino acids leucine, valine, and isoleucine and has been shown to:
- act as a powerful antioxidant to slow down the damage done to cells that can happen when there are higher levels of free radical molecules in the blood.
- Increase fullness from a meal and improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps with food metabolism and mood regulation.
- Once the whey protein is digested into smaller protein chains, these proteins help to lower blood pressure through a pathway involving the liver, kidney, and lungs.
The three most common whey protein types are:
Whey Protein Isolate
- 85-90% protein
- Lower lactose and fat levels compared to whey concentrate
- Fewer impurities compared to whey protein concentrate
Whey Protein Concentrate
- 35-80% protein
- Higher in lactose, dietary fat and carbohydrate content compared to whey protein isolate
- Costs less than whey protein isolate
Whey Protein Hydrolysate
- 100% protein
- More quickly absorbed into the gastrointestinal system
The Recipe: Pumpkin Chai Mug Muffin
This easy recipe uses Krusteaz Protein Buttermilk Pancake Mix as the base, but Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix works just as well. All mug muffins begin with the same base:
- ¼ cup plant or cow milk
- 1/3 cup protein pancake mix
- One tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
Adding a functional food such as pumpkin can boost the nutritional profile of this easy breakfast recipe. See below for my new favorite, the pumpkin chai mug muffin.
Nutrition Services Near Seattle, Washington
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