How to Cook Pumpkin and Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin is a nutritional fruit used in many types of recipes, and is especially popular during the fall. It contains no fat, less than 50 calories, and also provides a sufficient amount of protein and fiber. Although pumpkin is a healthy fruit, you must be careful about what you add to it so that you do not add unwanted fat and calories. Learning how to cook pumpkin is easy, especially when you choose the right recipes.
Adding Pumpkin to Your Meals with Healthy Recipes
Pumpkin can be used for more than just cooking pies. It can be added to many different recipes and dishes that you eat everyday to add a new and interesting taste. By learning how to cook pumpkin and incorporating it into the foods that you eat, you can get an extra dose of the the antioxidant beta-carotene.
Add pumpkin to your morning oatmeal for a simple and healthy breakfast. Combine one-half cup of old fashioned oats, one-quarter cup of pureed pumpkin, and one-quarter cup of fresh blueberries in a microwave safe bowl. Cover the ingredients with water and cook in the microwave for two minutes. Stir the oatmeal to mix and add a sliced banana to the top.
Use pureed pumpkin instead of butter and cream to make a healthy and tasty side dish. For pumpkin mashed potatoes, peel two potatoes and cut into eight pieces. Place the potatoes into a small pot and cover with water. Cook the potatoes until they are soft. Drain the potatoes and add three teaspoons of chicken broth then mash. Add a quarter cup of pumpkin and mash again.
Pumpkin pizza is a healthier option than the traditional red sauce and cheese pizza, and learning how to cook pumpkin to make it appealing to even the young ones is simple. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a spoon or knife, spread one-half cup of pureed pumpkin onto a pre-cooked pizza dough. Cut a half block of tofu into small pieces and spread over the top of the pizza. Cut a peeled apple into small pieces and spread evenly over the pizza dough. Add additional green vegetables of your choice. Sprinkle the top of the pizza with cinnamon and place in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Adding pumpkin to your list of foods can be a healthy food choice as long as you choose healthy preparations and cooking methods for it. Many common recipes that use pumpkin are not considered to be very nutritious, such as pumpkin pie. One slice of this favorite holiday dessert contains 320 calories, 15 grams of fat, 350 milligrams of sodium and 40 carbohydrates.
Pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins are popular cool-weather comfort foods. Neither of these are waistline friendly, so you may want to look at alternative foods. Not only do these recipes add additional fat, calories and cholesterol in the way they are prepared, but the additional condiments people add before eating and serving do this as well.
References
Self Nutrition Data: Pumpkin Nutrition Facts - https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2601/2
Suite 101: Healthy Pumpkin Ideas for the Fall Season - https://fall-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/pumpkin_treats
Fat Secret: Pumpkin Muffin Nutrition Facts - https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/dunkin-donuts/pumpkin-muffin