From pies to quick breads to lattes at your favorite coffeehouse chain, pumpkin is the rock star of the fall harvest.

It’s not only popular, but it also has many health benefits. Pumpkin is low in fat, low in calories and high in fiber, which can help with weight loss.

Pumpkin is also good source of potassium and is naturally a low-sodium food. It is loaded with antioxidants such as vitamin A and vitamin C, both of which are linked to cancer prevention.

Foodies love the fact that pumpkin is versatile and can be prepared many ways, including savory recipes as well as desserts and sweet treats.

Here are two tasty ways to add a little pumpkin to your life — both are as easy as pie to make.

• Sweet: Pumpkin-Blueberry Pancakes
• Savory: Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder ½ tsp salt 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 2 cups skim milk 2 large eggs 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/3 cup packed, light brown sugar 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Preparation In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, pumpkin puree and sugar. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Do not over mix. Batter will be lumpy. Gentle fold in blueberries. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto heated griddle. Cook on one side for approximately 2 minutes. When bubbles begin to form flip pancake and cook on other side for approximately one minute or until golden brown. Repeat process with remaining batter.  Makes 18 pancakes. Nutrition Info Serving size: 1 pancake. Amount per serving: Calories 98, Fat 1 g, Sodium 150 mg, Total Carbohydrate 21 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 4 g, Vitamin A 40%

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 Serrano chili, diced (may remove seeds for less heat) 1 15 oz can of black beans (rinsed and drained) 1 15 oz can of red kidney beans (rinsed and drained) 1 14.5 oz can of fire-roasted, diced tomatoes (with liquid) 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) 1 cup frozen corn 1 ½ Tablespoons of chili powder 1 ½ tsp cumin 1 tsp cinnamon ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1-2 cups of water or low-sodium vegetable broth (dependent on desired thickness) Salt to taste Preparation In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers and Serrano chili. Sauté until tender (3-7 minutes). Add beans (drained and rinsed), tomatoes (including liquid), pumpkin puree, corn, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Stir. Add water or low-sodium vegetable broth to desired consistency. For thick chili add less broth (or none at all). Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add salt to taste if needed. Makes 7 1-cup servings. Nutrition Info Serving size: 1 cup. Amount per serving: Calories 335, Fat 3 g, Sodium 434 mg, Total Carbohydrate 38 g, Fiber 12 g, Protein 9 g, Vitamin A 80%