October 26, 2012

Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

It’s fall so that means its pumpkin season. One sure fire way of becoming a good cook is to use all of the elements of seasonal produce. So if you are carving pumpkins with your family or making homemade tasty pumpkin pie, don’t forget to use the seeds.

They are a crunchy tasty treat and are aslo packed with lots of nutrients. Pumpkin seeds are great for lunchtime or an afterschool snack. One ounce of roasted pumpkin or squash seed kernals (about 85 seeds) contains approx 8.46 grams of protein, 163 calories and 1.8 grams of dietary fiber. Not to mention a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and zinc. While not the best source of omega-3 it does contain 0.1 g of omega-3.

Compare this to some other quick snack foods and their approximate protein intake:

1 Hot Dog 5.0g
1 Egg 6.5g
1 Cup Whole Milk 7.6 g
1 oz pumpkin seeds 8.46g
1 Cup Plain Yogurt 8.5g
Beef Jerkey 9.0g
4 slices Bacon 11.85g

You can store raw, baked or roasted pumpkin seeds for up to two months in an air-tight container. To preserve the most nutritional content, including omega-3, store in a cool, dry place that is not exposed to direct sun light. Omega-3 fatty acids dissipate after a few weeks, so for the most nutritional benefit try to eat the seeds within a few weeks from the time of harvest.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Vegan, gluten-free

  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt/ seasoning salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder

Or for some added flare, try adding some of these seasonings of choice

  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • Dash of cinnamon

Directions

  1. Clean out your pumpkin.
  2. Wash the pulp from the seeds (soaking the seeds in warm water for an hour will help this process).
  3. Allow the seeds to dry for 24 hours. (for best results)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  5. Combine all ingredients and place in 8×8 pan or cookie sheet coating the seeds with the seasoning mixture.
  6. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes (There are many different recipes that change the baking time and the temperature, so check periodically to ensure they are just right for your liking.)
  7. ENJOY!!!
October 24, 2012

Happy Food Day

Today is “Food Day”.  A nationwide celebration and movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Created by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is powered by a diverse coalition of food movement leaders, organizations, and people from all walks of life. Food Day addresses issues as varied as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural policy, animal welfare, and farm worker justice. The ultimate goal of Food Day is to strengthen and unify the food movement in order to improve our nation’s food policies.

Food Day’s national priorities address overarching concerns within the food system and provide common ground for building the food movement. They aim to:

  • Promote, safer, healthier diets
  • Support sustainable and organic farms
  • Reduce hunger
  • Reform factory farms to protect the environment and animals
  • Support fair working conditions for food and form workers

In the past 40 years, the way our food is produced, distributed and eaten have changed enormously.  If you are interested in learning more about the actions you can take to help work towards a healthy, sustainable, affordable, and fair food system, check out the food day website.  www.foodday.org.   You can also look for any local events for you and your family to attend.  I am actually giving a Kids Health Seminar in our local Napeville area to help support the cause.

If you are not able to attend any local events, try and make it a priority next week and commit to doing at least one thing for the day that you know is healthy:

– Drink water all day – Ensure you eat a healthy breakfast (no skipping meals) – Make all of your meals for the day – Do not eat any processed foods for the day – No snacking between meals  (or if you do snack, only healthy choices) – Raid your pantry and get rid of stuff you know is no good – Read nutrition labels – Buy organic produce

Do one of these things for a day and then see how you feel.  If you do them multiple days in a row, I am certain you will feel better and have more energy and maybe you will be able to begin to make them a habit.  Good luck!