Start Snackin' on Pumpkin Seeds

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to pick a pumpkin for that perfect jack-o-lantern. And if you usually throw away the seeds when you carve your pumpkin, you might want to reconsider, especially when you try eating them freshly roasted. But they don’t just taste great, they’re jam-packed with prostate-protecting zinc, heart-healing magnesium, and flu-fighting antioxidants. And their high levels of easy-to-digest protein help to stabilize blood sugar when snacked on throughout the day, making you less hungry. So eat ‘em by the handful, stir them into yogurt, or sprinkle them on top of soup or salad.

And for a sweet twist on the traditional toasted pumpkin seeds, try this recipe that adds some sugar and spice. Once you start eating these tasty treats, you won’t be able to stop!

 

·        4 cups of raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried

·        ½ cup of butter, melted

·        2 tablespoons of brown sugar

·        1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

·        Pinch of salt

·        ¼ cup white sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine the pumpkin seeds, melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, and stir to coat the seeds. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake another 30 minutes. Cool before serving. Enjoy!