{"id":15381,"date":"2019-09-25T21:59:01","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T21:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=15381"},"modified":"2019-10-28T18:21:22","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T18:21:22","slug":"healthy-pumpkin-spice-latte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/healthy-pumpkin-spice-latte\/","title":{"rendered":"Cozy Up with This Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"I hate to break it to all you PSL lovers, but your favorite fall beverage is a total sugar bomb<\/a> disguised as a cozy drink. It\u2019s time you ditch the junky ingredients and additives. Instead, give your pumpkin spice latte an upgrade with a healthy homemade version!\r\n\r\nHere’s the nutritional breakdown of common PSL’s today. Plus: why making a homemade pumpkin spice latte is so much better for your health and your budget.\r\n

Are Pumpkin Spice Lattes Healthy?<\/h2>\r\nIf you\u2019re referring to pumpkin spice lattes sold at major coffee establishments across the country, the answer is a firm no. They\u2019re loaded with sugar, artificial flavors, dyes, and fillers.\r\n\r\nWith that said, Starbucks has made an effort to clean up their pumpkin spice concentrate. It used to include only natural flavors and chemical dyes. But now they use real pumpkin and natural food coloring made from fruits and vegetables. This change resulted from backlash from consumers who became privy to the fact that what you put in your body truly matters.\r\n

Traditional PSL Nutrition Facts<\/h2>\r\nHere’s the nutrition information and ingredients in traditional pumpkin spice lattes.\r\n

Ingredients in a Tall Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte<\/h3>\r\nMilk, Pumpkin Spice Sauce [Sugar, Condensed Skim Milk, Pumpkin Puree, Contains 2% Or Less Of Fruit And Vegetable Juice For Color, Natural Flavors, Annatto, Salt, Potassium Sorbate], Brewed Espresso, Whipped Cream [Cream (Cream, Mono And Diglycerides, Carageenan), Vanilla Syrup (Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid)], Pumpkin Spice Topping [Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Clove, Sulfiting Agents]\r\n\r\nNutrition: 380 calories, 12 g fat, 57 g carbs, 12 g protein<\/a>, 51 g sugar, 1 g fiber<\/a><\/em>\r\n

What About psl’s Elsewhere?<\/h3>\r\nUnfortunately, Dunkin\u2019 Donuts doesn\u2019t disclose the ingredients in their pumpkin spice latte… which makes you wonder why. However, they do have the nutrition facts<\/a> available online for their small cinnamon sugar pumpkin signature latte, which still isn’t very encouraging:\r\n\r\nNutrition: 310 calories, 11 g fat, 44 g carbs, 8 g protein, 38 g sugar, 0 g fiber<\/em>\r\n\r\nNext, if you forgo big coffee chains and opt to get your PSL elsewhere, your neighborhood cafe still might not use the best ingredients. Even if you\u2019re lucky enough to frequent a coffee shop that makes their own pumpkin spice latte syrup or blend, it\u2019s still often loaded with sugar. I recommend always asking about ingredients. Also, you can always request they use less pumpkin spice syrup or blend. After taste testing, you can always add more cinnamon to *spice* up the flavor.\r\n

Some Notes on Sugar<\/h2>\r\n

Sugar Content in Your Pumpkin Spice Latte<\/h3>\r\nRegardless of the difference in sugar content (58 grams at Starbucks, 38 grams at Dunkin’), these PSL’s pack an immense amount of sugar. Think about it: Four grams of sugar amount to one teaspoon, meaning 40 grams equals 10 teaspoons\u2014or a little over three tablespoons\u2014of sugar. Imagine adding three tablespoons of sugar to your coffee, and you might think twice about your go-to fall beverage order.\r\n

Effects of Sugar on Your Health<\/h3>\r\nNow that you know how much sugar is in your PSL, here’s a reminder about the negative effects of sugar on your health. First, there’s sugar cravings<\/a>. Sugar can trigger an incredibly strong reward response in your brain, and the sweet stuff may be more addictive than cocaine<\/a>. Next, eating too much of it can lead to weight gain, increased inflammation<\/a>, metabolic dysfunction, and a host of other serious health issues. Additionally, sugar can negatively affect your skin<\/a> and is associated with a higher risk of developing acne<\/a>. Because sugary foods spike blood sugar and insulin levels (to which your body becomes resistant over time), they increase androgen secretion, oil production, and inflammation. On top of that, constant spikes in blood sugar can disrupt<\/a> your hormonal balance<\/a> and cause you to crave more sugar.\r\n\r\n\"Woman\r\n

Benefits of Making a Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte<\/h2>\r\nMaking a homemade pumpkin spice latte is incredibly easy, as well as your best option when it comes to nutrition, health, and budget. You can use real food ingredients like actual pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and your milk of choice; I recommend oat milk<\/a> or coconut milk.\r\n\r\nThe nutrition benefits of making a healthy pumpkin spice latte at home are far superior to any of those you can buy. When you make it with real pumpkin, you\u2019re getting a boost of nutrition from the winter squash. Pumpkin is a rich source of vitamin A<\/a> in the form of beta carotene, potassium, and zinc<\/a>. Your homemade PSL will pack about 25 percent of the RDA for vitamin A, which is incredible for eye health. Additionally, pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber. Fiber is essential for healthy digestion<\/a> and feeding the good gut bacteria<\/a> found in your intestinal tract.\r\n\r\nIf not for anything else, you\u2019ll save a significant amount of money making by a homemade pumpkin spice latte. Your average PSL ranges from four-to-six dollars depending on the size. If you treat yourself to two pumpkin spice lattes weekly over one month, that\u2019s $40 or more. If you make this recipe for a healthy pumpkin spice latte, it\u2019ll only set you back around a dollar apiece. You can\u2019t beat that!\n
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Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte<\/h2>\n\t\n\t\n\t
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PREP
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COOK
5<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
SERVES
1<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t
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INGREDIENTS<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t