Written by Caitlin Covington on September 25, 2013
Sure, pumpkins can seem spooky in their Jack-o-lantern state, but don’t be fooled— they’re actually one of the most nutritious fruits out there. Loaded with antioxidants and disease-fighting vitamins, these gourds aren’t just for carving, making them a bonafide Greatist superfood.
Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, that is. There are plenty of ways to sneak pumpkin into any meal—whether it’s the seeds or the guts, canned, cooked, or raw, or in a main dish versus a chocolate chip cookie. Canned pumpkin can be added to almost anything and (voila!) out comes the perfect autumn treat. For a hot breakfast filled with fiber, try adding canned pumpkin to oatmeal. And take note: if a recipe calls for canned pumpkin, don’t be afraid to replace it with fresh. Placing a small, cleaned-out pumpkin in the microwave for six minutes will make it easy to scoop out the insides. And save those seeds—they’re easy to roast. After removing seeds from the pumpkin’s inner cavity (like, say, after carving it for Halloween!), wipe them off with a paper towel. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with some seasoning, and lightly roast at 160-170 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Roasting for a short time at a low temperature helps to preserve their healthy oils. While there’s no such thing as too much pumpkin, eating a lot can actually give skin a “pumpkin-like glow.” Too much beta-carotene isn’t toxic, but excessive consumption can cause a yellowish discoloration of the skin called carotenemia. Don’t worry, though—turning into a pumpkin after midnight is still only for the fairy tales—the skin discoloration is harmless and can be easily reversedA case of carotenodermia caused by a diet of the dried seaweed called Nori. Nishimura, Y., Ishii, N., Sugita, Y., et al. Department of Dermatology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan. The Journal of Dermatology, 1998 Oct;25(10):685-7..