What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word "Pumpkins"? Is it Halloween? Pumpkin patches? Fall? Pumpkin Spice Lattes? Ironically, for me pumpkins never triggered me to think of something specific until last year when our October super food was Pumpkin. Pumpkin was never something that I ate so I thought that it was going to be a little bit challenging to find a recipe.
Fortunately I had help from one of our amazing dietetic interns at the time and she picked roasted pumpkin and pumpkin cookies, both of which were absolutely delicious! Everyone of course loved the cookies and everyone who tried the roasted pumpkin enjoyed that as well, so much that they went over and bought it from our cafeteria. I was a bit skeptical about trying the roasted pumpkin but I was pleasantly surprised and 100% satisfied. It almost tasted like yams but just a little less sweet.
Through this I learned the great benefits of eating pumpkin and plan to incorporate pumpkin into this year's fall season. I know there are many who enjoy pumpkin seeds but never tried the flesh of the pumpkin, other than when it’s puréed for sweet treats such as pie, cookies, etc.
Because I really care about sustainability and preventing food waste I wanted to share some of the health benefits of eating the various parts of the pumpkin, along with recipes that hopefully spark your interest enough to try at home. Carving pumpkins and creatively decorating them can be fun and great for kids and bonding, but think about how many nutrients and food is wasted when that is done and the insides just go into the trash. Maybe with these recipes and health benefits you can carve & create along with adding something tasty to your dinner table 😊.
Health Benefits:
1. Natural source of tryptophan, which helps you to feel tired and sleep.
2. Low in calories and fat, which makes it a good food to add into your diet if you are watching your calorie intake. One cup of cooked pumpkin is only around 50 calories! Get the health benefits and not add on a lot of calories. Nutrient dense at it's finest!
3. High in carotenoids: which can help protect your eye health and reduce inflammation in the body.
4. Good source of fiber. Eating pumpkin (flesh or seeds) will help sustain and keep you full throughout the day.
5. Pumpkin seeds can help reduce toxins in the body by stimulating circulation and increase the liver and kidney functions.
6. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of magnesium. Magnesium is important for: Controlling blood pressure, reducing heart disease risk, forming & maintaining healthy bones, and regulating blood sugar levels.
Recipes:
Pumpkin Puree: https://www.archanaskitchen.com/home-made-pumpkin-puree I included this recipe because it is the base for pretty much all pumpkin recipes but instead of buying canned puree, you can make it yourself. It's fresher, less processed, cheaper and you end up with a lot more than you would in a can.
1. Pumpkin Pancakes: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-pancakes-spiced-maple-syrup
2. Pumpkin Cupcakes: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting
3. Roasted Pumpkin! https://www.lovingghealth.com/wellness?pgid=k399xujs-393d3eac-7a86-4ab4-aec7-99ff941445b1 This is the recipe that I used for a Wellness Wednesday at work alongside one of our dietitians and its was soooo good! This is the way that I plan to prepare my pumpkin this fall.
4. Pumpkin Bread: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread/ I've never had pumpkin bread but it is something that I would like to try making. I would omit the walnuts that are in this recipe because I don't like nuts in soft textured foods but they do add extra health benefits! Pumpkin pie isn't my thing but I think I would like pumpkin bread.
What are your thoughts on pumpkin? I would love to know in the comments below. Especially since I was somebody that was anti-pumpkin and now I'm slowly teetering onto the pro-pumpkin side lol
I hope everyone has an amazing day and has learned a little bit! 😊
Fun Fact: I didn't know that pumpkins were actually part of the squash family until a couple of days ago! I always wondered why some varieties of pumpkin looked like squash and now I know why lol
Until next timeee!
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