Pumpkin seeds are beneficial to the immune system and can help with energy production. Adding pumpkin seeds to your diet can also help encourage sleep, and improve your mood. Pumpkin seeds are high in antioxidants, a good source of beneficial fats, and low in carbohydrates. With all the health and nutritional benefits that pumpkin seeds provide it’s good that there are numerous ways to include them in a health-conscious diet.
Eating Pumpkin Seeds Raw
You can cut open a pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, wash and drain them and enjoy them right from the pumpkin if you like. Or, if you prefer, you can buy packages of raw pumpkin seeds to eat as a snack. Raw pumpkin seeds can be added to soups, salads, and sandwiches to enhance their flavor, add texture and increase the nutritional value of a meal. Raw pumpkin seeds can be tossed in a pan with a small amount of olive oil and fried until they pop. The seeds can then be sprinkled with seasonings of your choice.
Roasted and Toasted
Once raw seeds have been prepared for the roasting process, they can be seasoned with salt, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, or whatever seasoning you prefer. Roasting the seeds takes approximately 20 minutes.
The process for toasting pumpkin seeds varies from the roasting process. Prior to toasting the seeds, they should be boiled for about 10 minutes, drained, and then placed on a pan coated with olive oil. The seeds should be toasted at 400 degrees. The time varies from 5 minutes for small seeds up to 20 minutes for large seeds.
Use Pumpkin Seeds in Numerous Recipes
Pumpkin seeds can be incorporated into many recipes to enhance the flavor of a dish, increase the nutritional value of a dish or add unique texture to a dish. Pumpkin seeds can be sprinkled over salads or soups, added to smoothies, granola, trail mixes, or used in a pesto recipe. Pumpkin seed bread and cookies are a healthy and delicious snack or dessert option. Pumpkin butter is also a great way to include pumpkin in your everyday meals.
