It is time to bust out the PUMPKIN RECIPES! I was starting to think how I haven’t had pumpkin Shakeology yet this year but as I was making it, I started wondering what container pumpkin actually counts as? So as I was searching for the answer, I found a video that Autumn Calabrese made that explained the containers for pumpkin and I wanted to share that with you. You can watch that video here.

When you eat pumpkin in cubes, that counts as a green container. It would be a vegetable. But if you were to buy the pureed pumpkin, it actually counts as a purple. I get the kind that is all-natural with no preservatives – literally the only ingredient in the can is pumpkin!!

Why does it count this way? Autumn said that when you have a pumpkin and its cubed up, it fits less in the container because there are big chunks and there is space between them. When it’s pureed and it’s more of a liquid consistency, you can fit more into the container and it’s more nutrient-dense, so you use a smaller container. This also explains why peanuts and peanut butter aren’t measured in the same containers – peanuts are an orange and peanut butter is a spoon.

If you followed me way back when, you know I’ve always spoken to the high heavens about how much I love Shakeology and what it does for me. I love pumpkin everything and I remember when I started my transformation that I was OBSESSED with pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. I literally got them three times a week! I never looked at the sugar content or the calories because I just didn’t care. As I got older and had children and my body chemistry changed, I had to start thinking about what I was eating and drinking because it would stick to me and the weight wouldn’t come off as fast.

So I started to look up the nutrition facts of what was in a pumpkin spice latte, and it will literally BLOW YOUR MIND when you see how much crap is in ONE drink from Starbucks. And not even the venti, it’s in the tall or the grande!! As much as I loved them, I had to get rid of my sugar cravings and I wanted to change more than I wanted to stay the same. I decided, as sad as it was, that I was going to throw in the towel on pumpkin spice lattes.

I went looking for alternatives and I found this recipe that I’ve been making for six years! I usually make it with chocolate Shakeology, but the Vegan Vanilla is my new love lately so I decided to try it out with this recipe. Is it the same as drinking a pumpkin spice latte? Definitely not. But this recipe has sweetness, it’s good for you, and as you’re drinking it you know you are not ruining your progress. To me, that makes it worth it!!!

I know some of you just won’t be able to give up your pumpkin spice lattes, and that’s okay!! We all have different priorities. For me, the more I feed my sugar demons, the harder it is for me to conquer them. So I’ve found that this pumpkin Shakeology gives me a good meal, it staves off my cravings for a few hours, it builds up my immune system, and I get that sweet pumpkin flavor.

So to all you sugar addicts out there – we can get through this together!!!