Pumpkin Mousse

As a kid, I loved pumpkin pie. I had no idea that pumpkin was a squash, or that it was really good for you. I’m much older and a bit wiser now, but I still love pumpkin pie. So that’s why I love this dessert. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also so good for you, and extremely good if you are looking to keep the calorie count low. It’s full of vitamins A (including beta carotene) and D, calcium, and potassium.

The basic concept of this recipe was something I got from a TV show called From Farm to Table. The idea is simple, mix one part canned pumpkin with one part vanilla yogurt. I made enough for 4 hungry people, but you can adjust the amounts to fit your crowd (or lack of it.) I added some spices to make it a bit more savory and cut down on the sweetness of the vanilla yogurt. Of course, the spices I added also give it more of that pumpkin pie flavor, which I like.

Ingredient List (serves 4 – 8 people)

2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt (I used Weight Watchers brand for this)
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon allspice (optional)
1 ½ teaspoon ground clove (optional)

Mix everything in a bowl and serve. It will be a creamy, not quite pudding consistency. Or chill it in the fridge and it will set up a tiny bit more. Add toppings, such as non-fat non-dairy whipped topping, to finish the presentation.

The Stats:

	Calories	Fat (sat)	Chol	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Protein
Pumpkin (2 cups)	160	2 g (0 g)	0	20 mg	36 g	20 g	8 g
Yogurt (2 cups)	240	0	10 mg	320 mg	42 g	6 g	16 g
Salt, Allspice, Clove	0	0	0	1110 mg*	0	0	0
Total	400	2 g (0 g)	10 mg	1440 mg*	78 g	26 g	24 g
1 cup serving (4)	100	0.5 g	2 mg	360 mg*	20 g	7 g	6 g
½ cup serving (8)	50	0	1 mg	180 mg*	10 g	3 g	3 g

* Salt is optional. I’d leave it out completely if you need to watch your sodium levels.

Bottom line: This dessert is packed with vitamin goodness. 1 cup has a full day’s supply of vitamin A and beta carotene. It’s got a lot of fiber, making it quite a filling dessert. And best of all for my friends counting points, a cup of this dessert is 1 point. Half cup of this is 0 points! Free dessert, how can you not love it?