The Pumpkin Is an Amazing Vegetable no Matter What Time of the Year!

Our friend, the pumpkin, gets so much press the month of October. From plastic to the real deal, from banners to costumes, pumpkins reign!! And even Costco has the famous pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread mixes that we all love.

But I want to take this love of the orange veggie a bit further with an appreciation of its nutritional values. The reason pumpkins are associated with harvest time is because they were first harvested by the Native Americans and treasured for their medicinal and nutritional values.

First of all, because of its orange color, you can guess that its loaded with beta carotene, as well as Vitamin A.  In fact, pumpkin provides you with 145 percent of your daily value of Vitamin A. Other vitamins are potassium, vitamin c, as well as fiber. What we usually do when we make smoothies is put pumpkin in it.

We buy the canned pumpkin so that it is already cooked. Many pumpkins that are grown for Jack-O-Lanterns are too big and stringy to make into pies, so the suggested pumpkins for consumption are the sugar pumpkins, the smaller ones. Besides pies, pumpkins are wonderful in stews, in soups, and can even be made into pumpkin butter.

Now onto the seeds. Our bodies crave the minerals and vitamins that are found in seeds and nuts. Pumpkin seeds are a wonder food all in themselves. They are known to help with sleep as they contain tryptophan. They are chock full of magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, iron and copper. 

Pumpkin seeds can help with prostate health as well as bone health. They also help with lowering cholesterol. We put them in the smoothies as well as drizzle them on salads, grind them into nut butters and also just snack on them.

So, next time a pumpkin glares at you with eyes lit up on October 31st, smile back with the knowledge that you can also enjoy them throughout the year for your health!

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe?