At this time of year, you can find pumpkin-based foods from delicious soups and sides to pies and coffee. The squash is all around us for a few months each year. However, pumpkin seeds can be overlooked. They aren’t only around in the fall and winter, pumpkin seeds are available year-round in the supermarket! While some people think of roasting them to eat after carving a pumpkin for decoration or cooking with the flesh, many just throw the seeds in the trash. Let’s look at this superfood with many possible benefits.

It’s unsurprising that seeds — which must contain every element to grow a plant — carry so many nutrients. Pumpkin seeds contain an absurdly long list of things that are good for you. They give you vitamin E, Omega-3 fats, zinc, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, copper and iron. That is a frankly astonishing list from such a small thing. From bladder problems to sleep, and digestion to healthy blood sugar, there seems to be little pumpkin seeds can’t help with!

While it’s unlikely you would eat a full cup of seeds, a cup contains 11.9 grams of protein and 11.8 grams of fiber! A far more reasonable serving of a couple of tablespoons a day will allow you to reap their health benefits.

Because of their light flavor, they are a great thing to add to many recipes — from salads to smoothies. Additionally, as well as being a delightful add-in for recipes, there are many delicious recipes to eat them alone. Remain cognizant of serving size because they aren’t a low-calorie food but, with their health benefits, they are well worth cooking! In addition to be a great snack or ingredient, pumpkin seed oil can be substituted for other oil in uncooked foods such as dressings of dips.

So, with all these benefits and versatile uses, it’s time to stop scooping pumpkin seeds right into the garbage and instead keeping them for later. How do you plan of working these seeds into your diet? Let us now here: socialmedia@neulivenhealth.com.