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Pumpkins are not only good for carving and scaring the neighborhood folks on Halloween but also for eating.
And not just pumpkin pies with whip cream.
I'm pleasantly surprised at the variety of foods that can be enhanced with some of that orange nutrition a pumpkin contains.
Pumpkins are featured in many recipes during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season but it is a wholesome addition to meals all year round.
Pumpkin is high in beta carotene, an important anti oxidant that converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is well known to have cancer fighting agents as well as anti aging properties.
Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)
| Calories 49 Protein 2 grams Carbohydrate 12 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Calcium 37 mg Iron 1.4 mg Magnesium 22 mg Potassium 564 mg |
Zinc 1 mg Selenium .50 mg Vitamin C 12 mg Niacin 1 mg Folate 21 mcg Vitamin A 2650 IU Vitamin E 3 mg |
CANNED WORKS TOO!
If you can’t find fresh pumpkin, canned will work just fine.
Pumpkin has found the greatest popularity in desserts.
What would Thanksgiving be like without pumpkin pie? Those who aren’t used to working with fresh pumpkin make pie filling with canned since all of the strings and seeds are already removed.
Pumpkin pie filling can be used for mini tarts at a holiday gathering or a church function. The filling can also be cooked in small ramekin dishes and topped with whipped cream for a crustless treat.
MORE THAN JUST PUMPKIN PIE
Pumpkin bread tastes nothing like pumpkin for those who are like me and haven’t particularly taken a shine to pumpkin pie. The more pumpkin added to the recipe, the moister the bread will be.
Serve with butter or a dollop of cream alongside a cup of coffee or hot cocoa.
Pumpkin bars remind some of pumpkin bread but they are denser than the bread. Pumpkin bars are topped with icing. They make sweet treats for kids after supper instead of cake and ice cream.
Any recipe that calls for sweet potatoes can be readjusted to accommodate pumpkin.
Cookies, cakes, bars, pies, and muffins are a hint sweeter when pumpkin is added.
Pumpkin fans can go all out for the holidays with a pinch of pumpkin added to the recipe.
Pumpkin can also be sliced up and used in stir fry recipes with other gourds like zucchini and squash.
Served over rice or as a side dish for meats, guests will be eating pumpkin and won’t even know it.
DO SOMETHING REALLY DIFFERENT AND FUN AT DINER
The pumpkin in your recipe doesn’t have to be the main ingredient.
A hollowed out pumpkin can be used much like a bread bowl.
It can hold stews, soups, and chili that contain pumpkin, or not. The outer rind will stand up to the temperature and may even cook any remnants of pumpkin inside and add to the flavor.
Don't miss out on some great pumpkin nutrition, colour and fun.
Come to think of it, maybe Charlie Brown was on to something when he talked about the great pumpkin.
Find out how you can work some orange nutrition into your meals and snacks with some great pumpkin recipes, coming up tomorrow.
If you need some help to get quick, nutritious meals on the table and snacks in the fridge, sign up for our free Meal Time On Time ecourse – a full week of meal planning tips and ideas.
