Roasted pumpkin seeds make a fantastic snack, so next time you are preparing pumpkin for a meal, don’t throw out your pumpkin seeds! You can turn them into an awesome healthy snack and I will show you how.
Roasting pumpkin seeds is a quick and simple idea to create a healthy and nutritious snack, you can use the seeds to make a trail mix, just add equal quantities of your favorite nuts and dried fruits and store in snack size zip lock bags.
Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe
INGREDIENTS;
- 3 Cups of pumpkin seeds (halve the quantities for a smaller amount)
- 4 teaspoons of melted butter
- Dash of salt
METHOD;
- Pre-heat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius or 150 degrees if you are using a fan forced oven.
- Place seeds in a bowl and stir through melted butter and salt.
- Spread the seeds onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper.
Cook for around 45 minutes stirring occasionally, cook until golden brown, allow to cool and enjoy!
You might like to boil your seeds for 20 minutes in salted water then drain them in a colander, allow them to dry overnight before roasting this is an excellent way to remove the pumpkin pulp. You can also vary the recipe by using a combination of butter and garlic before mixing it through the seeds this gives extra flavor.
MINERAL CONTENT IN PUMPKIN SEEDS
- 18 different amino acids
- Protein
- Zinc
- Calcium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Sodium
- Copper
- Potassium
- Selenium
VITAMIN CONTENT IN PUMPKIN SEEDS
- Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantonthenic Acid
- Vitamin B -6, Folate
- Vitamin-A
- Vitamin-K
They have extraordinary nutritional value for a little seed, that most of us throw away once we cut them out of the pumpkin. Pumpkin seeds contain wonderful nutrients some of which will still benefit you even after you roast them.
They even contain Carotene which has multiple health benefits, so as you can see they are a worthwhile and valuable addition to any diet. They also have the extra benefit of being low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol and only contain about 75 calories in each quarter cup.
CANCER FIGHTING PROPERTIES
There is also scientific research that points towards a relationship between lower levels of prostate cancer and the consumption of pumpkin seeds. This is due to the cancer fighting capability of the phytosterols and the free radical reducing affect of selenium, both of which are found in pumpkin seeds. The pyhtosterols also have been shown to manage and even lower cholesterol levels and only sunflower oil and cashew nuts have a higher phytosterol level than pumpkin seeds. Given all these incredible nutritional facts you really can’t afford to not include them into a regular diet for young and old.
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