Pumpkin Seeds Yes Please!
It’s Pumpkin Carving time… and you know what that means… LOTS of Yummy Pumpkin Seeds! A great snack if you save them, clean them up a bit, and try one of these easy recipes.
You might be thinking to yourself, ” really, clean out all those pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin… seems like a lot of work”. Well, I won’t lie, its a bit of work, not too bad really, but it is sooo worth it. Pumpkin seeds are not only yummy, but they have some interesting nutrition benefits! Like any type of seed or nut, they are a bit calorically dense –
Pumpkin Seed Nutrition Information
a serving size is 1/4 C, which provides:
~186 calories
8.5 g protein
6 g carbohydrates
1 g dietary fiber
0.35g sugars
15.8g fat (3 g saturated)
0 g trans fatty acids
0 g cholesterol
6mg sodium
They are also good sources of :
- Vitamin K (18% of your daily value) this helps your blood to clot when you get a cut.
- Iron (28% of your daily needs) which carries oxygen around in your blood
- Zinc (17% of your daily needs) which helps keep your immune system going strong so you don’t get sick
- Copper (24%) helps reduce inflammation in arthritis
- Phosphorous (40%) which helps build strong bones and teeth and helps keep your kidneys healthy, and reduces muscle soreness after a hard workout!
WOW! That’s pretty good for such a little seed! They do have a decent amount of fat (like all seeds and nuts) but it is the good type, the type that helps lower cholesterol, the type your body needs (some of). They are a decent source or protein. Just keep your serving size small… don’t eat all the seeds from the pumpkin on one serving! The serving size is 1/4 C!
Alright, now hopefully you are convinced to try Roasting some up at home… here’s how you get started.
Pumpkin Seed Preparation:
1. Pick the seeds from the pumpkin guts… pick out as many as you possibly can (you will be happy that you did later).
2. Rinse them off in a colander, and pick off any pumpkin that is still on the seeds
3. Place them on a cookie sheet to dry overnight, they should be in a single layer.
4. Now it’s time to Roast the seeds, so find a good recipe… here’s a few of my favorites!
Sweet Hotties
Ingredients
- 2 C pumpkin seeds prepared as above
- 2 T Olive or Canola Oil
- 1 t salt*
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce*
- 1 T brown sugar
- 2 drops hot pepper sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line your baking sheet with tinfoil (this makes clean-up easier, but it is not necessary)
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and make sure all seeds are coated.
- Spread seeds in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven until browned & crispy (~45minutes)
Notes
Salty & Spicy
Ingredients
- 2 C pumpkin seeds cleaned and dried
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 T olive or canola oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line your baking sheet with tinfoil (this makes clean-up easier, but it is not necessary)
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl, and make sure all seeds are coated.
- Spread on baking sheet, in a single layer.
- Stir occasionally, bake ~1 hour (until browned and crunchy).
Sweeties
Ingredients
- 1 C Pumpkin Seeds cleaned and dried
- 1 T Olive or Canola Oil
- 1 T granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp allspice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line your baking sheet with tinfoil (this makes clean-up easier, but it is not necessary)
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl, and make sure all seeds are coated.
- Spread on baking sheet, in a single layer.
- Stir occasionally, bake 45-60 minutes (until browned and crunchy)
Enjoy!
Tracey is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator in Plattsburgh, NY. She enjoys cooking healthy recipes for her family, and loves involving her daughter in the process. On her blog, she shares meal prep ideas, healthy recipes, nutrition tips and even gardening tips (to help you eat more whole foods). Check out her social media sites for more great tips.