As you are headed out to the pumpkin patch this weekend out in the Virginia or Maryland suburbs, you may want to consider grabbing an extra pumpkin or two for cooking. Pumpkin has a multitude of health benefits, including slowing digestion for weight loss, increasing eye health, bumping up your immunity, lowering cancer risks, and treating diabetes. Don’t believe me? Check out this article from CNN.
Most people usually use the canned stuff, but I highly recommend chopping up a pumpkin and doing it yourself. There are plenty of resources for how to cook pumpkin. We’ve put together four healthy pumpkin recipes for you to use to take advantage of this wonderful gourd.
Spicy Southwest Pumpkin Soup
1. Spicy Southwest Pumpkin Soup
Need a little spice in your life? This recipe from A Spicy Perspective will leave you wanting more. Not only is it healthy, but it can be made vegan or gluten free!
Pecan Pumpkin Muffins
2. Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins
Does regular pumpkin bread bore you? Once Upon a Chef has you covered with these muffins. An adaptation of her mom’s pumpkin bread recipe, this one makes it nice an easy to bring as a snack to work or to send to school with the kids.
3. Old Bay Pumpkin Seeds
Never throw away those pumpkin seeds again. Baked pumpkin seeds are an easy to make awesome treat for any time of day. Being from DelMarVa, I always add old bay to mine for that crab seasoning flavor so I chose this recipe from Chow. Be sure to bake them the full 45-60 minutes as it makes them much easier to eat.
4. Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
While brownies are never really on the healthy side of things, I couldn’t help but get them into the list. I found a great recipe over at Sally’s Baking Addiction for a skinny version using greek yogurt, unsweetened cocoa, and ground oats that hits the spot.
Whatever you choose to do with those pumpkins, enjoy halloween and don’t eat too much candy!