I was beginning to think pumpkins were just for carving scary faces into. It turns out these seasonal candle holders actually have a very healthy nutritional profile. They pack a whopping 200% of our RDA and Vitamin A and about 1/3rd of our daily Vitamin C and almost ¼ of our fiber requirements. Oh, and it is also only 40 calories per single serving. That is without anything else delicious added. Since it is the season for pumpkin here are a couple of really tasty pumpkin ideas for you to try out. Enjoy!
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Tease the seeds out of the pumpkin innards with your fingers and rinse them in a colander. Boil the seeds in a pot of well-salted water 1o minutes; drain, spread on a baking sheet, toss with 1 tsp. olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the seeds are toasty brown. - Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
In a large nonstick skillet, sauté several cloves of garlic and half an onion, diced. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups pumpkin puree and stir to combine; add vegetable stock if needed to thin the sauce a bit. Add minced fresh sage or rosemary and serve over whole-wheat penne pasta. - Chef Meg’s Pumpkin Dip
This recipe rides the line between sweet and savory; it’s as delicious on a whole-grain bagel for breakfast, or with carrot sticks for a beta carotene-packed afternoon snack - Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
Add 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 2 Tbsp. sugar (or sugar substitute to taste) and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to 8 ounces of low-fat cream cheese. - Low-Fat Whole-Grain Pumpkin Pancakes
Perfect for cooler months, this hearty breakfast recipe includes whole-wheat flour, lots of spice, canned pumpkin and skim milk. Whip up a batch of these pancakes for the weekend after Thanksgiving.