by Amanda Box

Nothing says Fall better than a beautiful orange pumpkin. But, pumpkins aren’t just for decoration or making Jack-O-Lanterns. They are extremely healthy for you and are Fall’s superfood!

Pumpkin is packed full of:

  • Beta-carotene – Prevents aging and infections
  • Vtamin C – Promotes collage production, boosts immunity and fights free radicals
  • Potassium – Prevents onset of cardiovascular disease and hypertension
  • And fiber – Great for constiptation or indigestion, as well as regulating cholesterol and blood sugar levels

Pumpkin makes a great “diet food” to help you get rid of those extra few pounds because it is fat free and very low in calories. One cup of pumpkin has only 50 calories! Yet, this humble back yard fruit is still packed an abundance of disease-fighting nutrients.

Crunchy and delicious pumpkin seeds are really good for you, as well. They are very high in essential minerals such as zinc and magnesium. Pumpkin seeds are highly recommended to arrest prostate enlargement because of their high zinc content.

Pumpkins are Perfect Fall Treat

Not only is pumpkin good for you, it’s delicious! I admit, I have a weakness for anything pumpkin. From soup, to pie, to lattes…if it’s got pumpkin in it, I’m sure to love it. I’m not a huge carrot fan, so I get most of my beta-carotene from pumpkin.

Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant that converts into vitamin A. Most people know that vitamin A is really important for our eyes and vision. However, vitamin A is also very important for building your immune system. It has an important role in the production of white blood cells, as well as helping to regenerate the intestines mucosal barrier that keeps infection out of the body. With flu season right around the corner, getting enough vitamin A is really important for its immune-boosting properties.

One of the downfalls to eating pumpkin is that most foods made with pumpkin are also packed with sugar and refined flour. I am going to share with you my 3 favorite healthy pumpkin recipes. Each delicious pumpkin recipe is white sugar and white flour free.

The first recipe for pumpkin muffins uses a process called soaking. Whenever I make something with wheat flour, I like to use soaked recipes. Soaking essentially “predigests” your flour making it easier for you to digest. It also ferments out the phytic acid, which can upset your digestion and block your body from absorbing important minerals and nutrients.

soaked-pumpkin-muffinsPumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 c pureed pumpkin
  • 3/4 c water + 2 Tbs buttermilk or plain yogurt
  • 1/2 c melted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 c sucanat or natural granular alternative
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

Optional: You can also add in raisins, nuts, cranberries or whatever sounds good!

Preparation

Cool butter slightly. Mix together flour, pumpkin, water, buttermilk/yogurt and butter. Cover with a plate or towel. Allow this mixture to rest (soak) at room temperature overnight.

When ready to bake, add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour into muffin cups and bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees F. Muffins will be more moist than usual when checking doneness with a toothpick. Do not overbake! Remove from oven and allow muffins to rest in pan for 5 minutes. then remove and allow to cool on wire racks.

Pumpkin Soup

This next delicious pumpkin recipe is my favorite! Pumpkin soup! Pumpkin is such a beloved superfood that there are some who even follow a pumpkin diet! This recipe is dairy free and instead uses coconut milk. Coconut milk is a great dairy alternative and contains fatty acids that are very good for you. These fatty acides promote normal brain development and contribute to healthy bones. It also has important anti-carcinogenic and anti-pathogenic properties and is less likely to cause weight gain than polyunsaturated oils.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups fresh pumpkin
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 green chili, halved and seeds removed (optional)
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Fried bacon crumbled or toasted salted pumpkin seeds

Preparation
1. Cut the pumpkin into a few big pieces and boil it in water for around 5 minutes or until it becomes soft. Cool completley or comfortable to the touch. Cut off the skin and put pumpkin flesh into a blender/food processor.
2. Meanwhile, roast the whole garlic cloves for about 10 minutes at 200 C in the oven.
3. Heat up some coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the onions till they brown slightly and get nicely caramelized.
4. Add peeled roasted garlic cloves and the onion into the blender along with the pumpkin flesh and blend it for a moment till you get a smooth paste. You can add a drop of water if needed.
5. In a soup pot, mix together 2/3 of coconut milk and about 2 cups of chicken/vegetable stock. Add the pumpkin puree and green chili halves and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for a little bit, see if you need to add more water. Season it with salt and pepper to your liking and just before it is done, mix in the rest of fresh coconut milk.
5. Just before serving garnish with fried bacon pieces or roasted pumpkin seeds (optional).

Healthy Pumpkin Creamer

This last recipe is the newest in my pumpkin collection. I absolutely love pumpkin flavor in my coffee! I’m not even a big coffee drinker, but if it has pumpkin in it, I love it! Coffee shops use a sugar based syrup for their pumpkin lattes, but there is nothing nutritious about it! It doesn’t even contain real pumpkin! The store bought creamers are packed full of fake ingredients and should never be used. This delicious recipe calls for real pumpkin; you can also make it dairy free.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole organic milk
  • 1 cup organic cream

or

  • 2 cups coconut milk

PLUS

  • 3 tbsp canned pumpkin
  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup

Whisk everything except the vanilla over medium heat in a saucepan. When steam begins to form, remove from heat
and stir in the vanilla. Strain through a mesh sieve if you wish. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator.

Remember, adding more pumpkin into your diet will help boost your immune system and  it also increases your regularity! I’ve found that pumpkin foods always seem to put me in a cheery state of mind.  I don’t know about you, but eating pumpkin always gets me in the mood for the holidays.  There is nothing quite like the aroma of pumpkin spices to get you excited about the coming holiday season!

I hope these recipes help you incorporate this Fall’s fabulous pumpkins into your diet! Skip the sugar laden pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads and try these nutrient–packed and delicious pumpkin recipes instead! With so many health benefits, you won’t regret taking advantage of this fall’s superfood: pumpkin!

Delicious food that is good for you?  I’m not complaining and I’m sure you won’t either.  Happy fall to you all!

Further Related Reading:

Amanda Box, Naturopath for Barton PublishingAmanda Box is a Traditional  Naturopath and a graduate of Clayton College of Natural Health. She’s been in the health and wellness industry for over 12 years and currently practices naturopathic consulting in the Kansas City, Missouri area.  Her passion is helping others achieve wellness of the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. If you don’t have a good local naturopathic practitioner to turn to for your personal needs, Amanda does phone consultations! She can help you with weight loss, detox/cleansing, acute and chronic illnesses, skin and body care, grocery shopping, pantry overhauls, and more! Visit her blog “My Life in a Healthnut Shell” at http://amandabox.blogspot.com/ for contact info.

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