It’s Pumpkin Time!
I don’t know about you, but I see pumpkin everything this time of year! Pumpkin is a delicious and nutritious way to add some color and nutrition to your diet. Pumpkin is a type of winter squash and can be incorporated into your cooking in so many ways. Today I’ll share the health benefits of eating pumpkin and some of my favorite ways to include it in your meals and snacks.
Nutrition
According to the USDA, 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin contains:
40 calories
1 gram protein
0 grams fat
10 grams carb
3 grams fiber
1.7 mg iron (10% of the daily recommended intake)
Health benefits
Winter squash is a starchy vegetable, meaning it is higher in carbs than non-starchy vegetables. In addition to pumpkin, examples of winter squash are acorn, butternut, and delicata. Even though pumpkin is a higher-carb vegetable, many of the carbs come from fiber; fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels, improves digestion, and can lower cholesterol levels.
Pumpkin is also an excellent source of vitamin A, which is important for eye health. Additionally, pumpkin contains vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, copper, manganese, and iron, all of which are important nutrients for overall health. Iron in particular is needed to make hemoglobin and myoglobin, which are proteins that carry oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. Read these past blog posts to learn why these specific vitamins and minerals are important for health.
There are many varieties of pumpkin out there but not all are great for cooking. It’s best to look for sugar pie or sweet pumpkins as these will have more flavor; field pumpkins which are typically used for carving don’t have a ton of flavor, but still can be used. And don’t forget to save the seeds for roasting!
Canned pumpkin is also a great option as it really simplifies the prep process. Just be sure you don’t end up with pumpkin pie filling as this will contain ingredients other than just pumpkin puree, such as sugar (and lots of it!).
If you’re feeling really motivated, check out this post to learn how to make your own pumpkin puree!
Savory ways to use pumpkin
Pumpkin isn’t only used in sweet dishes. Just a few of the savory dishes you can make pumpkin with are:
Sweet ways to use pumpkin
Pumpkin pie is probably the most commonly thought of pumpkin dessert, but there are so many other ways to bake with it and use it in desserts. On its own, pumpkin doesn’t taste super sweet, which is great if you don’t like your desserts to be too sweet. Some of my favorite sweet treats to make with pumpkin are:
Pancakes - try these made with teff flour (stay tuned for a post in a few weeks all about teff flour!)
Healthy no-bake cake bites
Muffins - try these made with oat flour (gluten-free!)
Did you know that even dogs can eat pumpkin? Try adding pumpkin puree to homemade dog treats and I promise your dog will gobble them up. Be sure to come back next week for a Thanksgiving leftover recipe meant just for your furry friend!
What are your favorite pumpkin recipes?
