Meatless Monday: Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin is a nutritional powerhouse (you know, until it’s mixed with sugar and evaporated milk and plopped into a buttery pie shell). A quarter-cup packs 80 percent of your daily needs of vitamin A, which keeps eyes and skin healthy and boosts your immune system. The seeds aren’t too shabby either. Each ounce contains 150 mg of magnesium, nearly half of your daily target of 310 mg. The mineral aids nerve and muscle function and helps fight off fatigue.
So don’t just carve a jack o’ lantern this fall—add some pumpkin to your diet and set aside the seeds, too.
Pumpkin Waffles (pictured) A great make-ahead meal, wrap individual waffles and freeze for up to two months. To reheat, pop in the toaster for a quick breakfast treat.
Pumpkin Seeds Skip chips and pretzels and squeeze some nutrition out of your snack food.
Pumpkin Bisque This easy soup recipe packs almost half a day’s worth of fiber into one serving. A finishing drizzle of balsamic vinegar lends the perfect touch.
Kale with Pumpkin Seeds If you’re looking for a side dish that’s filling, nutritious, and low in calories, stop here. This vegetarian recipe is a winner.
Pumpkin Smoothie Whether you’ve just gotten out of bed—or back from the gym—this smooth and creamy drink will perk you up.
photo: Photodisc/Thinkstock
