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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 24 apple slices (3 apples)
Preparation
Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple.
Nutrition Information
- Calories: 107 (27% from fat)
- Fat: 3.2g (sat 2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.1g)
- Protein: 2g
- Carbohydrate: 18.3g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
- Iron: 1mg
- Sodium: 87mg
- Calcium: 35mg
More Information
Pumpkin meat is very high in carotenoids. That's what give pumpkins their orange color, but that's the least of their benefits. Carotenoids are very good at neutralizing free radicals, molecules that can attack cell membranes and leave the cells vulnerable to damage.
Besides carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are all antioxidants, pumpkins have a lot of common nutrients, like iron, zinc, and fiber. Iron, of course, is needed by red blood cells. Zinc deficiency may be related to osteoporosis of the hip and spine in older men. And fiber is important for bowel health.
Also, pumpkins are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which scavenge free radicals in the lens of the eye. Therefore, they may help prevent the formation of cataracts and reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a serious eye problem which usually results in blindness.
