Nutrition: Food & Culture
I am so excited to kick off my Nutrition: Food & Culture Series. I’m starting with A Talk with the Elders feature. I talked with one of my beloved elders to see how food in America has changed in his lifetime.
Pumpkins are one of my favorite seasonal foods to cook in fall. They are a type of winter squash and are delicious, versatile, and nutritious. Pumpkins are packed with vitamins and minerals. Not only is the flesh nutrient dense, but the seeds are also. Pumpkin flesh and pumpkin seeds have plenty of nutritionally positive attributes.
• Low calorie
• Source of vitamin K, iron, magnesium, and copper
• Source of antioxidants and dietary fiber
• Naturally gluten-free
Pumpkin flesh and seeds are mineral and vitamin rich. Pumpkin flesh can easily be incorporated into sweet and savory dishes making them quite versatile.
As with a lot of foods, the nutritional content is affected during the preparation process. This is no different for pumpkin. Consider baking, boiling, roasting, simmering, and cooking in moisture (as you would with soups and stews) to reap the nutritional benefits of pumpkin flesh and pumpkin seeds.
A dish prepared with pumpkin flesh and/or seeds can be healthy depending on how it is prepared. I view pumpkins as seasonal bonus foods that conveniently add nutritional value. They can be incorporated into just about any meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks. Take advantage of the wealth of fresh pumpkin available this fall.
1 Food Several Ways: Pumpkin
• Pumpkin and chicken soup
• Pumpkin muffins
• Savory roasted/baked pumpkin
Photo by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian
on Unpslash
Top photo by Kerde Severin on Unsplash
1 Food Several Ways provides a description of three meals using one featured food. If you are not familiar with the dish mentioned or how to cook the food item, Google the general description given, and numerous variations will appear at your fingertips.
I am so excited to kick off my Nutrition: Food & Culture Series. I’m starting with A Talk with the Elders feature. I talked with one of my beloved elders to see how food in America has changed in his lifetime.
Do you have a nutritional aspect of your self-care routine in place for the season change?
Pumpkin flesh and seeds are mineral and vitamin rich. Pumpkin flesh can easily be incorporated into sweet and savory dishes making them quite versatile.
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