Fall is pumpkin season and in northern British Columbia that means access to locally grown varieties. Whether you're adding them into muffins, blending them into soups or baking the seeds for a crunchy snack, pumpkins are full of valuable nutrients and are a healthy addition to your diet in October, or any time of year.
While you may think of pumpkins as a Halloween decoration or seasonal pie filling, they can actually be used in a variety of dishes when you consider sweet and savoury options as well as using the seeds, flowers and leaves, in addition to the flesh. Each part of a pumpkin plant contains valuable nutrients in varying amounts.
The flesh of a pumpkin is high in potassium, which is an important electrolyte for muscle contraction, maintaining fluid balance in your body, controlling blood pressure and maintaining normal nerve function. The "meat" of a pumpkin is also an excellent source of Vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes and skin healthy, and can lower your risk for some diseases.
Pumpkin can be chopped and baked, like any squash, or pureed and added to smoothies, folded into a waffle or pancake recipe or cooked into your morning porridge. If you usually add pureed fruit, like applesauce, to your quick bread recipes, consider pumpkin for a change. The recipe for Hearty Manitoba Vegetable Soup (below) can help you get started with incorporating this versatile fruit into your diet.
Just like the flesh of a pumpkin, the seeds contain a variety of micronutrients including iron. Iron is a mineral that carries oxygen in the body and low levels of iron can leave you feeling tired and irritable.
Pumpkin seeds are also a significant source of fibre, which is important for bowel health, and protein, which helps you maintain and build muscle mass. Bake pumpkin seeds into a granola or use them to top homemade pumpkin muffins.
To prepare roasted pumpkin seeds, first clean all pumpkin debris off seeds, make sure the seeds are dry, then toss 1.5 cups of seeds with two teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes in a 300 F oven. Stir seeds occasionally to prevent burning.
While pumpkin flowers and leaves are not readily available in local grocery stores, you may still have access to these ingredients if you've grown your own plants. Both the flowers and leaves of the plant carry with them valuable nutritional qualities. Both foods are a source of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Although there are no specific recommendations for beta-carotene intake, it may reduce the risk of disease, some cancers and heart disease by acting as an antioxidant.
Pumpkin leaves can be chopped and cooked into soups and stews, just as you would use kale, and the flowers can be stuffed and baked, as you would prepare stuffed pasta shells.
If you're purchasing canned pumpkin, be sure to read the label carefully to confirm you're getting canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices and is often more expensive. As well, if you're buying pumpkin seeds, look for a product with no added salt. Pumpkin seeds can also be marketed under the name pepitas, which are just seeds from a different variety of pumpkin than that of a carving pumpkin.
-- Kelsey Leckovic is a registered dietitian with Northern Health working in chronic disease management.
Hearty Manitoba Vegetable Soup
Makes 6-8 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Note: tsp dried herbs can be substituted for each of the fresh herbs in this recipe. Also, if the soup becomes too thick, add 1-2 cups water.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 4 cups (1L) vegetable broth
- 1 can (19oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Swiss chard or spinach leaves, chopped
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- tsp pepper
- 1 cup rice or small pasta, cooked (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and cook celery, onions, carrot, zucchini and garlic for about 8 minutes or until softened.
2. Stir in potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. Add broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in Swiss chard, pumpkin puree, Worcestershire, mustard and pepper; simmer about 10 minutes or until chard is wilted. Stir in pasta/rice, if using, and heat through.
4. Sprinkle each serving with cheese if desired.
Nutrition Facts:
Per serving
277 Calories, 11g protein, 4g Fat, 53g Carbohydrates, 10g Fibre, 0g Sugar, 569mg Sodium, 3mg Iron
*Recipe courtesy of: www.unlockfood.ca
