The Pumpkin Challenge: Can a Romance Writer Eat Only Pumpkin for an Entire Day?

A few weeks ago I posted an apple challenge where I only ate apple-based foods for an entire day. But a few years ago, I did this challenge with pumpkins! Since so many readers asked me to repost this article, I’ve taken it out of the archives and posted it below. I hope you enjoy it!

A repost from the archives…

“I can’t believe that tomorrow is Halloween! And in honor of the funny squash that symbolizes this day, I’m going to only eat pumpkin foods. Why would I do such a thing? Since September 1^st, everywhere I’ve gone I’ve been overwhelmed by pumpkin “things”. Pumpkin foods, drinks, housewares, clothes, and sometimes even a real pumpkin that I can cut up as a jack-o-lantern. So I was wondering… what if, for one day, I could only eat things made from pumpkins? What would that even look like? Or taste like?

Since I like to research my books before I write, and I’m a librarian, I decided to take on this pumpkin challenge. I studied cookbooks and recipes to put together as balanced a meal plan as possible. Below is the plan I came up with and each of the meals is linked to a printable recipe page. Just click on the name of the food and it will take to to the recipe page 

All-Day Pumpkin Challenge

Breakfast:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

            ~ I love pancakes and this recipe uses whole wheat flour to add a denser flavor. I don’t use syrup on my pancakes, but I do use butter. They tasted delicious topped with sliced bananas and roasted nuts.

Coffee with Spiced Pumpkin Creamer

            ~ Home brewed coffee is a must in the morning. And this homemade creamer is so easy to make and has a lot less sugar than the pumpkin drinks at local coffee shops. It’s also a lot cheaper!

Snack:

Pumpkin Granola and Greek Yogurt

            ~ I get up early so by 10 am I’m hungry again. And a small bowl of yogurt topped with some pumpkin granola hits the spot. The granola is made with rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit so it’s the perfect mid-morning pick-me-up. 

Lunch:

Spring lettuce with roasted pumpkin, roasted pumpkin seeds, and feta cheese

            ~ I used a generous two cups of spring lettuce and added a few spinach leaves to the bowl. I topped that with chunks of roasted pumpkin, roasted pumpkin seeds (I made when I roasted the pumpkin), and some feta cheese. I tossed it with a homemade dressing of equal parts extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Then added some salt and pepper.

Afternoon snack: 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

            ~ I made this salty snack when I roasted the pumpkin for lunch. I threw a few seeds on my salad but saved the rest for my afternoon snack. You can always add a bit of chili powder to the salt when you toss the seeds if you prefer your seeds with more of a kick.

Dinner:

Pumpkin Soup

            ~ You can roast your own pumpkin for this soup and blend it in a blender or use pumpkin puree from a can. I’ve done both and they’re both delicious. And don’t be afraid to use the heavy cream. There’s a lot of soup in this recipe so you don’t end up eating a ton of cream with each serving. But the cream adds a nice texture and rounds out the flavors. I ate this soup with a small romaine lettuce salad and a balsamic dressing. 

Sourdough, Pumpkin, Rosemary, and Dried Cranberry Bread

            ~ This recipe needs a sourdough starter, but it’s not hard to make. I’ve also included a link on the recipe page to the King Arthur sourdough starter I love. The combination of pumpkin, rosemary, and dried cranberries in this bread is delicious. If you can time it right, pull the bread out of the oven about an hour before serving. That way it’s cool enough to cut but still warm enough for the butter to melt. 

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pudding

            ~This was such a treat! Puddings aren’t my favorite dessert, but this one was easy and not too sweet. Make sure you prepare it early in the day so it can chill before you eat it. 

Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Tea 

            ~ I found a box of Celestial Seasonings Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea at the grocery store and loved it. It’s not too sweet or too pumpkiny.  I added a splash of milk but no sweetener. You could add honey or sugar or stevia, but it has such a lovely flavor it doesn’t need it. 

So, this was a lot of pumpkin for one day! But I deliberately chose foods that weren’t too sweet. Although there was more dairy involved than I usually eat. Now I’d love to know what you’d eat on a Pumpkin Challenge Day!”

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