Real Treats Inside Jack-o’-Lanterns

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The New York Sun

Up to a million pumpkins are sold every year in the run-up to Halloween. The middle is gouged out and discarded so that the shell can be carved into a jack-o’-lantern to ward off evil spirits and pesky trick-or-treaters.


But if you roast the sweet flesh, turn it into a pie or soup, or nibble on some of the seeds, it will help to ward off aches and pains, too.


Pumpkin flesh is very low in fat and calories, and is a good source of soluble dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, calcium, and iron, as well as vitamins B and C, all good for promoting healthy skin, nails, and hair. A ripe pumpkin has a firm rind with no soft spots and is a deep orange color, evidence of the beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, that it contains.


Carotenoids are vital anti-oxidants that mop up the toxins that can aggravate inflammatory problems such as arthritis and cause pre-cancerous cell damage.


Halloween is the perfect time to introduce children to the idea of eating pumpkin, in risotto or with pasta.


“The vitamin C in pumpkin aids the absorption of iron, which has been found to improve concentration and mood,” said Nicola Graimes, author of “Brain Food for Kids” (Carroll & Brown).


Pumpkin seeds are high in essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6), protein, minerals, and vitamin E. They are good for brain development and may also help children who struggle to concentrate.


Best raw or soaked in water – to make them easier to digest – the seeds are so dense in nutrients that a teaspoon-full every other day is ample.


Relatively new on the market is aromatic and nutty pumpkinseed oil. The shiny, dark green seeds of 33 Austrian Syrian yellow-green pumpkins are needed to produce just one liter of cold-pressed oil.


Pumpkinseed is rich in magnesium, calcium, and zinc – which helps to keep winter sniffles at bay – as well as essential fatty acids, which assist the regulation of cholesterol levels.


The New York Sun

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