Battle of the Pies: How to Choose the Healthiest Pie and Why

By Kay MacInnis

 

Nothing says fall like the smell of pie baking in the oven. And if you’re getting ready for the holidays, I’m sure you are experiencing this first-hand.

But a word of warning: Here in South Carolina, we rank in the top 10 nationally for the highest rates of adult obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Our child obesity rate is second in the nation. This raises the question: With Thanksgiving approaching, how can we best enjoy those warm pies without completely destroying our health?

It can be done.

Let’s compare some of our favorites:

Pecan Pie: There is a lot of buzz suggesting that eating more nuts is good for our health. That’s fine. In the case of pecan pie, it is the corn syrup that you need to limit. One slice of pecan pie contains 410-450 calories.

Tip: For nearly half the sugar, try using light agave nectar instead of corn syrup.

Apple Pie: While the “apple” part makes it sound healthier, one slice contains 411 calories. That is just about a meal’s worth of calories, and 42 percent of these calories come from fat.

Tip: Skip the top crust. Then make the bottom crust with a crumb mixture made of 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, a cup of crushed Kellogg’s Special K cereal, 6 tablespoons of applesauce, 2 tablespoons of butter-flavored olive oil, and a half teaspoon of brown sugar.

Pumpkin Pie: This one is our winner! When in doubt, choose pumpkin pie. In competition with those mentioned above, it offers the fewest calories, and least fat and added sugar. It’s also loaded with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, phosphorous, calcium, and iron.

Tip: To make it even healthier, check out the recipe below.

Pumpkin Pie                                                                              

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup canned pumpkin
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. salt (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs or 4 egg whites
• 1 can evaporated lowfat milk

Ginger snap pie crust:

• 20 (1¾ cup) ginger snaps, crushed
• 2½ tbsp. unsalted butter or butter-flavored olive oil
• 2 tbsp. white sugar

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a 9-inch pie pan.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely before filling with pie filling.
• Combine all filling ingredients and blend with wire whisk until combined.
• Pour pie filling into crust and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until pie is firm.
• Cool and serve.

Nutritional information: 273 Calories, 11.3 grams fat, 246.55 mg. sodium and 11 mg. cholesterol

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This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Hospitals in Columbia.

Kay works in Health and Wellness at Providence, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She’s not a chef herself, but in consultation with the actual chefs at Providence, she’s learned a lot over the years as she has worked to help patients help themselves after they leave the hospital.

She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes.

 

 

 

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