Newsflash: People are really into pumpkin these days. It goes into our coffee. It’s infused into our beer. Pumpkin-flavored ice cream makes a seasonal appearance. And there is even seriously, this is a real thingsa pumpkin-flavored protein drink.
You know what all these pumpkin-flavored things have in common
Actually, we don’t know either. Probably some kind of orange food coloring. But it’s definitely not pumpkin.
Lest coffee shop and dessert menus make you forget, pumpkin is actually a vegetable and an impressive one, at that. The USDA National Nutrient Database reports that one cup of cooked, boiled, or drained pumpkin (without salt added) gives you more than 10% of your recommended daily amounts of vitamin E, 19% of your recommended daily amount of vitamin C, and wait for its a whopping 200% of your recommended daily amount of vitamin A. In case you’re not intimately familiar with the benefits of vitamin A, let us put it simply: it’s good for your eyes, your bones, your reproductive system, AND your immune system.
Pumpkin’s aromatic, earthy fresh seamlessly carries both sweet and savory recipes, and its versatile flavor feels natural during any course on the menu. Why settle for artificial avors and a pinch of pumpkin coloring when you can savor the real deal, and get some extra nutrition to boot It’s time to embrace pumpkin! And it’s time to do it in foods that, you know actually contain pumpkin. So skip the trip to the local coffee shop and get cooking with some of these great recipes instead.
Want pumpkin as part of your breakfast Add it to oats! Our recipe for pumpkin oatmeal will help you start your day o right. (Not to mention: whole grains!)
Doing some holiday baking You’re going to want to add pumpkin bread to your rotation. This pumpkin bread recipe will help you bake up a loaf that is dense and moist, mildly spicy, and utterly tasty.
Then, of course, there’s soup. Perfect in the fall and winter, and good for freezing as a lifesaver on those nights when you just want something fast, delicious, and warm. Our pumpkin and white bean soup is a keeper.
We said it before and we’ll say it again: EMBRACE THE PUMPKIN! Your eyes will thank you and so will your taste buds.
Kelly Grace Weaver, Director of Marketing and Communications
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