October 4, 2009...8:45 PM

Pumpkins-a sign that fall has arrived!

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pumpkinsI love everything about pumpkins from eating them in sweet or savory dishes to using them to decorate for fall and Halloween! As a child I really enjoyed going to the pumpkin festivals and trying all the food and seeing the variety of sizes and shapes of the pumpkins.
Not only do they look pretty and taste good, but they are very nutritious too! Kids love them too, especially for their orange color, so parents here’s a great way to get some veggies/nutrients into your little bundles of love!
Pumpkins are very high in beta carotene(converts into vitamin A in the body), potassium and calcium-yep!
See information below for all the nutritional details.
Some of the things I like to make with pumpkins are in my new cookbook, No Wheat, No Dairy, No Problem (see Orders page). The Recipe of the Week is Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Ginger snap Cookie Crust! I also have Pureed Vegetable Soup, Pumpkin Ice Cream and Pumpkin Pie in the cookbook! If you prefer Sweet Potatoes-there is a delicious Sweet Potato Pecan Pie that will transport you to the South!
Embrace the fall with the flavor of pumpkin and spices while getting a dose of nutrients to build your immunity!
Tip: Hollow out a pumpkin and use it as a soup terrine-garnish with pomegranate seeds and toasted pumpkin seeds!
Be Well and Bon Appetite, Lauren Hoover
Pumpkins & More

Pumpkin Nutrition

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health.

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49
Protein 2 grams
Carbohydrate 12 grams
Dietary Fiber 3 grams
Calcium 37 mg
Iron 1.4 mg
Magnesium 22 mg
Potassium 564 mg		 Zinc 1 mg
Selenium .50 mg
Vitamin C 12 mg
Niacin 1 mg
Folate 21 mcg
Vitamin A 2650 IU
Vitamin E 3 mg

University of Illinois Nutrition Analysis Tool
http://nat.crgq.com/
Ever wonder about the caloric and nutritional value of pumpkin pie? This interesting site will provide nutritional information on everything from pumpkin pies and breads to pumpkin seeds and flowers.

Pumpkin Nutritional Analysis
http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~nutrican/tables/Pumpkin.html
A complete pumpkin nutritional breakdown.


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