With Halloween just around the corner, our nutritionist Ana Magalhães Pereira has prepared healthy recipes to sweeten the scariest night of the year! But first, get to know the main benefits of pumpkin for a healthy diet.

Extremely versatile, the pumpkin is a vegetable:

    • Low in calories, it has about 11 kcal per 100g;
    • With high antioxidant properties – thanks to carotenoids, micronutrients responsible for its color;
    • Rich in other micronutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamins B, and C;
    • Available in the season from September to May.

Also, it is a multifunctional food because it can be used in different types, such as:

        • Seeds – snacks, soups, salads;
        • Shell – decorative element;
        • Pulp – soup, pancakes, desserts, etc.

      And since Halloween is coming, we leave you here tips for the different uses of the pumpkin for a Halloween dinner. Don’t forget to use the shell as a decorative element in your living room!

      Pumpkin Soup

      Ingredients:

        • 1kg pumpkin in pieces
        • 2 medium onions in half-moons (+/-200g)
        • Garlic powder q.b
        • Salt q.b
        • Pepper q.b
        • 2 medium oranges
        • 1 glass of water
        • 15 grams of fresh ginger
        • 1 teaspoon of oil

       

      Preparation method

        • Stew the pumpkin, carrot, onion, and ginger in olive oil. If necessary add a little water.
        • As soon as the onion starts to become translucent, it should be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and orange zest.
        • Let it cook a little at low heat and with the pan covered until the pumpkin is cooked.
        • Grind and add orange juice. If necessary, add a little water.
        • Serve warm or cold.

       

      Pumpkin Pancakes

    • Ingredients:

        • 40 grams of oat flour
        • 100 grams of egg white
        • 90 grams of pumpkin puree
        • 1 teaspoon baking powder
        • 15 grams of sweetener

       

      Method of Preparation

        •  In a processor, grind all ingredients until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
        • Heat a non-stick frying pan and lower the volume to medium-high, as soon as it is hot.
        • Add spoons of dough and let it cook until it bubbles
        • Turn the dough over as soon as it has bubbles on the surface and the outer edge is a different color.
        • Let it cook on the other side for one minute.
        • Serve hot.

       

      Happy Halloween! 🎃

    • Author: Ana Magalhães Pereira Learn more about Ana’s work here or on her profile at Nutrium.