With fall approaching, everywhere you turn you will see pumpkin everything. Pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes galore, right? 

Besides being delicious, pumpkin is extremely nutrient dense. As far as vitamins and minerals go, pumpkin is very impressive. 1 cup of pumpkin purée has 1,634 percent of your vitamin A, 44 percent of your vitamin K, 29 percent of your copper, 20 percent of your manganese and 20 percent of your vitamin B5 for the day. Pumpkin purée is also really low in calories, with only 83 per cup. That same cup of pumpkin purée has 7 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

Now don’t let the pumpkin craze fool you. Crowd favorites like pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes come with a lot of added ingredients like refined sugar and saturated fat. Save treats like this for special occasions, like Thanksgiving or a fun outing with your friends over the weekend.

Below are some nutritious ways to prepare this fall super-food that aren’t packed with empty calories. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 cups milk or unsweetened plant milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée 
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2-3 Tbsp. nut butter

Instructions: 

1. Bring your milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Once boiling add the pumpkin purée, pinch of salt, and oats. Make sure oats are submerged in the milk and ingredients are combined thoroughly. 
3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes – or until the milk is absorbed and the oats are soft to your liking.
4. Remove the oatmeal from the heat and add pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup. Stir until all of the ingredients are combined. 
5. Divide recipe into three bowls or left over containers. You can safely store these for 2-3 days. Be sure to heat them up and top with your favorite nut butter!

Autumn Spiced Roasted Pumpkin

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 4 cups 1” fresh pumpkin cubes 
• 1/4 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried thyme 
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cover a baking sheet with parchments paper. 
2. In a medium bowl, place the cubed pumpkin, olive oil and spices and mix until well combined. 
3. Pour the seasoned pumpkin on the baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes – or until a fork can pierce the roasted pumpkin easily.
5. Broil on low for up to 1 minute to caramelize the outside of the pumpkin for extra crunch!
6. Enjoy with a salad, a piece of meat or plant-based protein, or all by itself!

Be sure to take advantage of these fall super-foods with these whole foods based pumpkin recipes.

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