You Are What You Eat: Pumpkins in springtime

Our list of super foods is growing by the week. I thought I'd tackle pumpkin this week, not only because it is amazingly good for you, but also because you don't normally think of incorporating pumpkin into your diet this time of year.

When you see that bright orange pumpkin, you know you are looking at beta-carotene, antioxidant of champions. In addition to fighting cancer, boosting your immune system and protecting against heart disease, it tastes great and is easy to incorporate into recipes.

We all know about pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but how to serve pumpkin in the springtime?
Yeah, yeah, fresh is best, frozen is the next best, sometime even better if fresh isn't really all that fresh. But I am going to save you a lot of time and effort here -- get the canned pumpkin. Not the pumpkin pie filling, but just plain ol' canned pumpkin, no other ingredients. Get organic, if you can.

Then:
- add some to smoothies
- stir into yogurt (thanks, Crabby!)
- add to soups, it will make a thick and creamier broth
- add to pancakes
- add to cornbread
We've got a good thing going here, right? Are you ready to use chunks of pumpkin now?


This is actually one of our favorite any-time-of-year pumpkin recipes, truly greater than the sum of its parts. Chicken, Kale and Pumpkin Stew is easy, healthy and has the most perfect balance of flavors.

Still not convinced you can actually cook with pumpkin on a regular basis, and have it taste good? You may not find more delectable pumpkin recipes than at the Vegetarian Resource Group. Lemony Lentils with Pumpkin and Pumpkin with Black Beans are just the start. These recipes use lots of flavorful herbs to make the most of pumpkin.

And what do you think pumpkin can do for that mac and cheese you know you should be infusing with nutrition, but just haven't gotten around to doing? This Squashed Macaroni recipe is your answer.

Now, search the internet and you'll find billions of recipes for pumpkin bread, which is not a bad thing. But how about pumpkin oatmeal cookies? My toddler can't get enough of these (use sucanat instead of sugar and grain-sweetened chocolate chips instead of raisins; yep, we got problems) and as long as you don't overcook them (don't ask!) they are cookie perfection. And they are vegan!

No more excuses! Orange is the new black (get it? that's means it is IN), so get some pumpkin love into your meals.

Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? How do you use pumpkin in your meals?