It’s fall in the US, so women everywhere are finding themselves involuntarily pulling into the nearest Starbucks for their pumpkin spice latte. Bath and Body Works has their pumpkin scented candles flying off of the shelves and everyone is jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon, with everything from Oreos and pudding to Pringles. (yuck!)
I’m all for celebrating the season, but we’ve gotten this pumpkin thing ALL wrong!
We’ve taken one of the super-foods of the fall and converted it into nothing but another overly processed sugar laden food imitation, but pumpkin in it’s natural form is LOADED with health benefits! If you ask any nutritionist or dietitian, local, seasonal food is always going to be the most nutritious and beneficial. Lucky for us, pumpkins grow extremely well in the Midwest, so get ready to change your view of pumpkin!
- Pumpkins contain just 26 calories per serving, with no saturated fat or cholesterol.
- A single serving boasts more than 246% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A.
- Pumpkin is a great source of fiber and anti-oxidants.
- They are an excellent source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
- High in beta carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.
Not to mention there are plenty of delicious savory pumpkin recipes to soak up all of the benefits without the fat and sugar of a pie or the fake pumpkin flavored items.
When you go grab that perfect pumpkin to carve, grab an extra to try out some delicious new recipes and boost that immune system–or you could always just rationalize that 2nd slice of pie because pumpkin is healthy, right?!
Check out more benefits and healthy and delicious pumpkin recipes from devanklinefitness.com.