It’s almost fall; Time for crisp air, cozy sweaters and pumpkin spice everything—lattes, cookies, breakfast cereals, teas, English muffins, beers and even lip balms.
All that pumpkin spice flavor—and pumpkin—comes for good reason: Those big, orange gourds are low in calories, with just 50 calories in a cup of pureed pumpkin. And they’re packed with vitamin A: Each serving has 100-percent of the daily recommended value of this eye-boosting vitamin for women.
But don’t skimp on the seeds inside. Pumpkin seeds provide filling fiber and important nutrients like zinc and magnesium. And eating a diet rich in pumpkin seeds has been associated with reduced risks of certain cancers.
So embrace the pumpkin season—and its seeds! Try one (or all!) of these healthy pumpkin seed recipes that are packed with pepitas. They’re the best pumpkin seed recipes around!
1. Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Bowl
Creamy smoothie bowls are like flavor-packed puddings that deliver loads of nutrients, textures and ingredients in a picture-worthy package. This Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Bowl has the flavor of pumpkin pie! Nonfat milk, pureed pumpkin, frozen banana, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice come together to create a smooth base. It’s made crunchy with toppings like chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds and granola. It’s a tasty, unique bowl that’s an exciting way to mix up your breakfast time—or any time—routine with your favorite fall flavors.
2. Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
If you’re carving pumpkins to make a bunch of spooky Jack o’Lanterns this fall, you’ll be sitting on a pile of crunchy snacks just waiting to happen: all those seeds!
With this heat-and-honey recipe, you can convert those piles and piles of seeds into a sweet, spicy treat that’s low in calories, high in nutrients, and really high in satisfying crunch and flavor. You can roast these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds the traditional way in the oven. Or have your bowl of snacks even faster; with an air fryer, you can roast the seeds in half the time!
3. Soft and Chewy Breakfast Cookies
If you’re always rushing out the door in the morning, Nutrisystem has always made it easy to still have the most important meal of the day. We offer grab-and-go muffins and other easy breakfast options that even the busiest person can enjoy.
These Soft and Chewy Breakfast Cookies add another filling option to that easy a.m. arsenal, with crunchy pumpkin seeds, chewy cranberries and just the right amount of sweetness. One of these chewy breakfast cookies is easy to grab, bite and enjoy as you gather your thoughts—and your keys, work bag and kids’ lunches—before flying out the door.
4. Baked Apple Cinnamon Nachos
Bring this unexpected treat to your next gathering, and leave everyone asking for more. Coated with spicy cinnamon and drizzled with melted nut butter before being nestled in a pile of chocolate chips and crunchy pumpkin seeds, these Baked Apple Cinnamon Nachos turn humble apple slices into a decadent dessert.
Just place the apple slices in a single layer on an iron skillet or baking dish. 35 minutes in the oven will transform those slices into soft, chewy chunks that are perfect for forking up all those sweet, melty toppings. It’s a perfect plate for sharing with fall dinner guests … or keeping all the deliciousness to yourself.
5. Spicy White Bean Hummus
Love a delicious dip? With just a few simple ingredients, you can make your own Spicy White Bean Hummus. This recipe is loaded with zesty, spicy flavor from spices like turmeric and cayenne pepper, filling dietary fiber from white beans, and crunch from a topping of fall favorite pumpkin seeds.
Since you’re making this hummus at home, you can customize the chunkiness and consistency. Blend the mixture a little less for a chunky, substantial hummus, or let it run to make it smoother. Add more water for a runnier dip, or use less for a heftier bowl that can hold its own on a carrot stick or pita cracker. It’s your dip, your way—and it’s perfect for helping you reach your weight loss goals.
6. Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Energy bars that are packed with seeds and nuts are loaded with flavor, crunch and healthy fats, all held together with a touch of sweetness. With this Pumpkin Seed Brittle recipe, you can make your own.
Using a sheet pan, oats, pumpkin seeds, golden raisins, chia seeds and sesame seeds, you’ll create your own slightly sweet, not-so-slightly crunchy bars that are sure to satisfy. Just preheat the oven, combine all of the ingredients, and spread them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Baking pumpkin seeds makes them extra crunchy and flavorful. The best part: This recipe makes 16 servings, so you can snag one right out of the oven. Stuff the rest in the freezer (to make them extra crunchy) so you can grab one whenever a crunchy craving strikes.
7. Roasted Veggie Hummus Wraps
Eating four servings of non-starchy vegetables per day is a cornerstone of reaching your goal weight on Nutrisystem weight loss plans. Vegetables fill you up with dietary fiber while providing energy and nutrients your body needs, and do it all for very few calories.
This simple Roasted Veggie Hummus Wrap can provide at least half of your daily non-starchy quota. It does it with the delicious flavors of a fall harvest, the crunch of pumpkin seeds for healthy fats, and the bonus creaminess of hummus and goat cheese. Just roast asparagus, bell peppers and onions on a sheet pan for 20 minutes, then wrap it all up for a creamy, crunchy lunch.
8. Air Fryer Pumpkin Pecan Clusters
These crunchy Air Fryer Pumpkin Pecan Clusters deliver pumpkin in three ways—pureed pumpkin helps pull them together, pumpkin seeds provide crunch and healthy fats, and pumpkin spice imbues the entire snack with festive fall flavor. The flavor doesn’t stop there, though: These snackable clusters also have pecans, cranberries, oats, brown sugar and vanilla to tempt your taste buds. All these ingredients come together like magic in the air fryer, going from bowl to your tongue in less than 10 minutes.
9. Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Is there anything an air fryer can’t do? With that countertop wonder, you can roast vegetables at lightning speed, make lower-calorie versions of your favorite fried foods, and speed up just about every meal of the day.
You can even make slow-roasted snacks super fast—like these Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. They are perfect for people who prefer sweet snacks to salty. With a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon—or pumpkin pie spice for even more fall flavor—you can have a mountain of crunchy, sweet snacks that are loaded with filling, healthy fats in just 10 minutes.
10. Roasted Spiralized Carrots
Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness, turning those crunchy veggies into soft, slightly sugary treats. Using a spiralizer before you roast them creates a pile of orange, pasta-like twists that make a surprising side that you won’t believe is actually a healthy vegetable. Tossed with spices and topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds, sweet dates and creamy goat cheese, these Roasted Spiralized Carrots are a filling, fun and gourmet side dish. This recipe will leave even the most veggie-hating diner asking for seconds.
11. Seeded Whole Wheat Bread Dough
You—yes, you!—really can make your own bread. It’s a fun family activity to try with your kids, spouse or partner, and the results are delicious: Come on, it’s bread!
Grab some simple ingredients, set aside a weekend afternoon, pop on some favorite tunes, and follow along. In a few hours, you’ll amaze yourself, and be digging into your own, homemade accomplishment. Plus, this Seeded Whole Wheat Bread Loaf is loaded with filling seeds on top that will give your next sandwich a satisfying crunch.
12. Superfood Autumn Health Bowl
One of the secrets to successful weight loss is dietary fiber. The non-digestible nutrient fills you up and keeps you feeling that way, and even targets stubborn belly fat.
But it doesn’t have to taste like cardboard: This Superfood Autumn Health Bowl is full of autumn flavors, with crunchy kale, sweet blueberries and hearty lentils and edamame. It’s all topped with a simple, slightly sweet maple vinaigrette. It’s a fantastic way to get closer to your daily four servings of non-starchy vegetables, and stay on track to your weight loss goals.
13. Chocolate Granola
This bowl of Chocolate Granola gives you the taste of chocolate that you love with fewer calories than store-bought. The cocoa flavor comes from cocoa powder and cacao nibs, the lower-calorie, antioxidant cousin of fully-processed chocolate.
This bowl has golden raisins and maple syrup too, so it keeps things sweet. And there’s loads of crunch from pecans and pumpkin seeds. Prep a big batch and keep it on hand for healthy Flex snacks you can enjoy whenever chocolate cravings strike!
14. Sweet and Smoky Trail Mix
Most trail mixes are pretty two-note—they’re peanuts, raisins … and basically nothing else. This Sweet and Smoky Trail Mix is a make-ahead healthy snack that’s loaded with way more flavors than that.
There’s crunchy pumpkin seeds, cashews and de-shelled edamame, plus varied sweetness from chopped banana chips and dried cranberries. But what really sets this mix apart is the spices: You’ve got smoky flavor from paprika, a kick of heat from chili powder, and lip-smacking garlicky flavor from garlic powder. Mix up a big batch and stuff it in your bag so you’ll be ready to crunch whenever your energy is lagging.
15. Fig Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Figs aren’t just for cookies—the underappreciated fruit is sublime when paired with the creaminess of goat cheese. Both of those ingredients take center stage in this Fig Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette, accompanied by crunch from pumpkin seeds and kale, and spice from red onion and arugula. Top it all with an easy-to-make balsamic-Dijon dressing with olive oil, and you’ve got a gourmet salad that’s got a little of everything. It’s sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy … and has loads of filling nutrition.
16. Veggie Power Bowl
Whether you’re looking for a centerpiece for a Meatless Monday meal or a hearty, non-salad option for eating your daily servings of non-starchy vegetables, this Veggie Power Bowl is the perfect solution.
It’s packed with filling protein from gluten free quinoa, which is backed up by the savory flavors of winter squash, onion and bell peppers. And it finishes with crunch on the top and bottom: the veggies and quinoa sit on a bed of crisp, spicy arugula, and it’s all topped off with added crunch from pumpkin seeds.
17. Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup
Nothing says fall like a bowl of warm, homemade soup. And nothing makes homemade soup easier than a slow cooker!
Pop all the ingredients inside, and get back to your life. While you take care of your work, errands and even watch an episode or two of your favorite show, that wonderful little machine is making dinner for you. It’s bringing out all the flavors of those dumped-in ingredients with a low, slow simmer.
This Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup features loads of spices—cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric … you could even add a little black pepper and sea salt if you want! Spices are unlimited on Nutrisystem. This specific combo will warm you up as you dig into sweet potato, celery, pepper and more. But it’s not all smooth soup-ing: This meal gets a pleasant crunch when you top it with crunchy bites of kale and pumpkin seeds.
The post 17 Creative Ways to Cook with Pumpkin Seeds appeared first on The Leaf.
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