Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites: Perfect for Holidays or New Year Dieting!

This post brought to you by Carton Smart. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now that the Christmas holiday season has come and gone, many turn their focus to the New Year celebrations and resolutions, which often include dieting to shed the pounds gained from indulging in yummy Christmas treats! If you are one of those, or if you just love pumpkin, we have a special treat for you.

Our son has been asking a lot this season about pumpkin pie. The Chef and I have never been big pumpkin pie fans. So when we received from Tetra Pak some sample Pacific Foods Organic Pumpkin Puree, I began searching for a different way to use this ingredient. I thought I could find something a little different that would still have the pumpkin flavor, a sort of compromise … since I think it’s mostly the texture of the pumpkin pie we aren’t so crazy about.

I wanted something easy. Who does not like easy in the middle of the busy Christmas season … or ever, for that matter?! Busy moms and easy are a perfect combination, amen?

When I found on Pinterest some Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites from Gimme Some Oven, I was hooked. My son loves nuts but he cannot have them, so anything with seeds works well for us. And to have something bite-sized with the pumpkin puree was a perfect solution to our family differences in taste for pumpkin.

These energy bites also include healthy ingredients. The original recipe uses honey as a sweetener. We did not have any honey, so I used some agave nectar we had bought and are trying to use up. I recently decided to begin using coconut sugars/nectar for sweetener when possible, so the next time we make these we’ll try the coconut nectar, which is said to have a lower glycemic index than processed sweeteners. Due to lack of research on these claims, the American Diabetes Association has stated:

It is okay for people with diabetes to use coconut palm sugar as a sweetener, but they should not treat it any differently than regular sugar. It provides just as many calories and carbohydrates as regular sugar: about 15 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrate per teaspoon. [Source: TropicalTraditions.com]

Basically, just because something may have a lower glycemic index does not mean one should go crazy over it and over-indulge! Use common sense and judgement and always realize that over-indulgence of anything is generally a bad idea.

These energy bites also include pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds, both known for being packed with nutrition and touted as superfoods. You can read much more about the health benefits of pumpkin, in general, at Scrumptious Moms, but some of those include:

• Boosts immune system
• Promotes healthy skin and bones
• Help reduce blood cholesterol levels

The World’s Healthiest Foods highlights some of the health benefits of flaxseeds:

• Cardiovascular benefits
• Cancer prevention
• Anti-Inflammatory benefits

Thanks to Tetra Pak, our family has discovered this great new recipe … give it a try yourself! The original recipe included coconut flakes. We added extra oats and pumpkin seeds but will work on adjusting those amounts the next time we make them ourselves, as we think we used a little too much … the coconut flakes have a much different texture than these so figuring out the right amounts the first time to get the best consistency for the balls sticking together well was a challenge!

Along with the pumpkin puree by Pacific Foods, we also received a Tetra Pak carton of organic Jellied Cranberry Sauce and organic Chicken Stock.

Think of all the ways you use chicken stock throughout the year: soups, casseroles, etc.! When you purchase these ingredients in carton packaging, such as used by Pacific Foods, you are living smart in several ways:

1. Because cartons are stackable, they save space in your pantry and help you keep it neat. They are easy to store and open, so you don’t even need a can opener.
2. The unique packaging process preserves the flavor and nutrients of food without the use of preservatives, such an important consideration for families like us who want to avoid preservatives as much as possible! Product quality is exactly the way it was intended to be.
3. Cartons are re-closable so you can use what you need and save the rest for later.
4. They are environmentally-friendly, being recycleable and, in fact, result in 60% less landfill waste than cans.

So become carton smart, not only during the holiday season but throughout the year! You can follow Carton Smart’s social pages here: Tweet @CartonSmart, Follow #CartonSmart on Pinterest

Have you been #cartonsmart this year, particularly during the Christmas holidays? Share with us in the comments if you have. From small, smart recipes that use ingredients in cartons or “smart” entertaining tips that produce great tasting food with little waste, sharing ideas and learning from each other helps us all work towards common goals of healthier families and a better world.