Pumpkin: The Magical Powerfood

Written by Randy Fritz, co-creator with Diana Herrington of Real Food For Life.

Pumpkins are Big!
Pumpkins are Tasty!
Pumpkins are Healthy!
Pumpkins are Magic?

Everyone loves pumpkins, whether you are growing a 1,800 pound whopper, reaching for your second piece of pumpkin pie, or just enjoying the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits from this alkaline powerfood.

Strangely enough, the pumpkin more than any other vegetable is associated with the supernatural.

Pumpkins are Big!

The biggest fruit/vegetable ever recorded in the world was by Jim and Kelsey Bryson, from Ormstown, Quebec. You can see just how big here: Giant Pumpkin. Jim revealed that his secret fertilizer for this 1,818.5 pounds monster was maple syrup!

All the giant pumpkins now can be traced back to seeds developed by another Canadian, Howard Dil, from Nova Scotia.

Up to 10,000 hobbyists around the word enter giant pumpkin contests each year, sometimes paying up to $1,500 for a single giant pumpkin seed.

Even the word pumpkin is derived from the Greek phrase “large melon.”

Pumpkins Are Tasty…and American

The first domesticated pumpkin ever was recorded over 5,000 years ago in Central America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico, dating back over 7,000 years to 5500 B.C.

Maybe that is why we have such a love for pumpkin pie. Pumpkins make an ideal filling because they are already so sweet. You can also eat the leaves and seeds and even the flowers!

Pumpkins Are Healthy For You

Low Fat Food: Less than 15 percent of calories come from fat (if you don’t have a scoop of ice-cream on it).
High in Anti-oxidants: From the deep orange color you might guess that pumpkins are full of betacarotene (just like carrots). It turns out that they are also rich in alpha-carotene and other carotenoids. No single food provides a greater percentage of certain carotenoids than winter squash.
Anti-inflammatory: Pumpkins have a significant amount of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. One cup of baked winter squash will provide you with approximately 340 milligrams of omega-3 fats in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
Great For Your Skin: The antioxidants vitamins A and C, as well as zinc and alpha hydroxy acids help to reduce the signs of aging.
Smart Carbs: If you cook it right and don’t add white sugar or artificial sweeteners, it is a smart carb.

These are just the benefits of the fruit. Even more powerful benefits come from pumpkin seeds.

For detailed nutritional composition click here: pumpkin nutritional facts

Pumpkins Are Magic?…

For some reason pumpkins have been associated with the supernatural. Maybe it’s because the average pumpkin is the size and shape of a human head.

The common custom of Jack-o-lanterns comes from the old tradition of hollowing out gourds and even turnips to ward off evil spirits.
Witches were thought to turn people into pumpkins.
In literature, pumpkins play strongly into stories like Cinderella, Harry Potter, The Great Pumpkin, Sleepy Hollow, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Pumpkin Recipes:

Diana is just now working on the ultimate healthy pumpkin pie recipe which includes a gluten-free, low starch pie crust. Be watching for it.

Pumpkin Soup: With fresh ginger, onion, and other spices, this is fast and yummy.
Pumpkin Pudding: You can use this vegan pudding with your favorite pie crust to make pumpkin pie if your wish.

What is your favorite way to eat pumpkin?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Julie F.

9:04PM PST on Mar 7, 2013

March 7
send a green star

JL A.

3:52PM PDT on Oct 28, 2012

good to know

October 28
send a green star

Julie D.

11:45AM PDT on Oct 5, 2012

Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice bread, toasted pumpkin seeds, curried pumpkin soup, all yummy treats! Love pumpkins!

October 5
send a green star

Boone S.

7:36PM PST on Dec 16, 2011

pumpkin enchiladas are my favorite way to use pumpkin. recipe:
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 1/2 tbsp. taco sauce
1 tsp. taco seasoning mix
2 large corn tortillas
3/4 cup red enchilada sauce, divided
1 slice fat-free cheddar cheese, halved
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
Optional: salt, black pepper, fat-free sour cream, chopped scallions
Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add pumpkin, taco sauce, and taco seasoning to the bowl. Mix well. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray, and set that aside as well.
Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate. Warm slightly in the microwave, about 15 seconds.
Lay tortillas flat, side by side. Spread 2 tbsp. enchilada sauce onto each one. Place a half-slice of cheese in the center of each tortilla. Evenly distribute the pumpkin mixture between the centers of the tortillas.
Wrap tortillas up tightly and place them in the baking pan with the seam sides down. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce.
Bake in the oven until enchiladas are hot, about 8 minutes.
Carefully remove pan from the oven, and sprinkle enchiladas with shredded cheese.
Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. if you like, top