One of the first signs of fall, apart from the leaves changing colour, is probably spotting pumpkins in the market. Besides being delicious, there are many health-related reasons why you should eat pumpkin.
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Pumpkins are also an iconic part of one of the most awaited fall celebrations: Halloween! With Halloween just around the corner, you might be busy preparing for the perfect costume and Halloween accessories to go with it. Apart from this, you might have already purchased pumpkins for your Halloween Jack-o'-lanterns.
Once the party is over, and you want to clean up your house, you might be tempted to just dump all these Halloween pumpkins in the trash and call it a day. But as per Newsweek, there are some strong reasons why you should not be doing that.
Minimise food waste
Although pumpkins have become a part of Halloween tradition, and are used as accessory and decor, they are first and foremost, food.
As per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a staggering 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are thrown into the trash annually. If you pause to think about the fact that there are about 2 billion pounds of pumpkins produced in the US, this is a horrible proportion of food waste.
Richard Napier, a professor at the University of Warwick's School of Life Sciences, tells Newsweek, why we should be eating pumpkins instead of throwing them in the trash,
We should be aiming to minimise all waste.
Pumpkins are bulky, and local production and short supply chains make sense to minimize heavy food miles. This is a healthy and affordable vegetable and a seasonal celebration of [home]-grown fresh produce.
Benefits of eating pumpkins
As per Healthline, pumpkin is a type of winter squash, and there are some amazing benefits to eating pumpkins for our skin, immunity and overall health.
Pumpkins are rich in nutrients
Pumpkins have high amount of potassium. This has a positive effect on heart health. As per Healthline, people with higher potassium intakes have been observed to have lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of strokes.
Vitamin C is also very good for skin health, helping the body in the production of collagen which aids the skin in regenerating and looking healthy and fresh.
Pumpkin also contains vitamin A, being rich in beta-carotene. This is especially good for the skin, with beta-carotene have been found to protect skin cells against damage from harmful UV rays.
Pumpkins are nutrient-dense
Pumpkins are packed with nutrients, while being a low calorie food at the same time. 1 cup or 245 grams of pumpkin contains less than 50 calories, while being very nutritive.
Pumpkin is also a great source of fibre, which helps you keep fuller and feel satisfied with your meals for longer.
Antioxidants in pumpkin may lower cancer risks
Pumpkin has high levels of carotenoids, which have antioxidant property. Good levels of carotenoids in the body have been linked by some studies to lower risks of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers.
Pumpkin is very versatile
From soups, to curries to purées, there are so many different ways in which you can prepare pumpkin
Josh Gibbs, a nutritionist researcher at the University of Warwick, U.K., tells Newsweek, about different ways in which you can eat pumpkin,
You can roast them in the oven and have them for a snack or sprinkle them into soup or on salads
The skin can be baked or air-fried to create delicious, crunchy chips. The flesh can be roasted or slow-cooked into a curry or stew.
Try adding pumpkin to morning smoothies, or roast it in the oven for a sweet-flavored side dish.
Read more:
⋙ Halloween: From trick or treating to costumes, do you really know where these traditions come from?
⋙ Your go-to Halloween costume says a lot about your personality
⋙ Halloween is a dangerous day for your pet, here's how to keep them safe
Sources used:
Newsweek: ' Scientists Reveal Why You Should Never Throw Out Halloween Pumpkins'
Healthline: ' 9 Impressive Health Benefits of Pumpkin'
