Sometimes it's easy to forget that there is a lot of what I like to call orange nutrition packed in the good old pumpkin.  

Pumpkin on its own is a nutritional power house.

Pumpkins have been around for a long time. Native Americans used pumpkins for both food and materials.

It is really interesting to know that long strips of pumpkin were dried and used to weave mats.

Some was dried for the pumpkin version of beef jerky or apple leather.

Pumpkins are not only tasty, but they are highly nutritious.

Eaten fresh from the pumpkin, the fruit provides zero cholesterol, less than 100 calories, and low sodium. When we add sugar, eggs, butter, and other ingredients, our pumpkin recipes get heavy and calorie laden.

The good news is that pumpkin can take these ingredients and give them a good reason to be there. 

MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE

Although pumpkin is more than just a pretty face, you can even use it on your face. Who would have thought?

Make Your Own Pumpkin Face Mask 

PUMPKIN PUREE – PURE GOLD IN THE KITCHEN 

Pumpkin can be pureed and added to recipes like muffin mixes and cakes without extra calories.

The trick is to substitute the pumpkin puree for butter and/or liquid oil to flavor the batter. Pumpkin puree can be given to babies to boost their intake of Vitamin C.

I wish that I had known that when my kids were babies.

Speaking of Vitamin C, pumpkin contains large amounts of the antioxidant beta-carotene. It aids in giving the pumpkin its deep orange color. We have heard about the benefits of antioxidants. They work to reduce the signs of aging and various diseases.

When pumpkin is a part of a healthy diet, supplements are not necessary. Eating a piece of pumpkin a day is just as effective as an apple. If bananas are not the tastiest way to gain your potassium, try eating some pumpkin. It contains over 500 milligrams of potassium per serving.

Pumpkins have endured their own bit of folk remedy over the years. People believe that pumpkin would reduce the appearance of freckles or eliminate them all together. It was also a remedy for snake bites.

Many creams include pumpkin as an ingredient.

That probably has more to do with its antioxidant properties than the healthy qualities of the fruit.

Raw pumpkin puree can help give a glowing complexion when used in a face mask, and you can scare your kids too!

Tell them you will be going that way on Halloween, it will haunt them for days!

PUMPKIN SEEDS – A DOUBLE WHAMMY OF NUTRITION 

Pumpkins seeds are removed when a pumpkin is hollowed out. Instead of throwing them away, clean the seeds off and roast them with a little bit of salt.

Pumpkin seeds make a quick snack to eat on the go or when kids are watching television and get the munchies. The nutritional value is higher than eating a bowl of popcorn and they are said to be toxic to worms.  Not very appetizing, but a great side benefit. 

I like to grind pumpkin seeds that have no shell in the coffee grinder and use it to thicken gravy.

Yes, it does look a little funny, not too much until it's cooled, but my family eats it with no complaint, and that is saying a lot!

You can also substitute ground pumpkin seeds for part of the flour in a baking recipe.

You can have some fun with the kids by buying and cleaning out your own pumpkin, show them where it comes from besides from the fridge in a pie, or you can get just as many health benefits from buying it in a can.

You can use it year round this way as well, and continue to enjoy the nutrients and colour of pumpkin all year round. 

PUMPKIN RECIPES 

Browse our tasty and nutritious Pumpkin Recipes. 

If you need some help to get this yummy recipe on the table, sign up for our free Meal Time On Time ecourse – a full week of meal planning tips and ideas.