Plant based pumpkin spice

Pumpkins are for eating not carving

At least in this household! While I love anything that brings the family together, I feel like the nutritional benefits of pumpkins are overlooked. While we can all appreciate a good jack-o-lantern (especially cat themed), the current state of the world is so scary that you could just leave the newspaper on your front stoop too long and scare people away with the headlines (people still read newspapers, right?!)

If you insist on carving a pumpkin, make sure to make the most of “the guts”- the seeds and pulp of the inside of the pumpkin.

You can eat the seeds. Many people prefer roasted over raw ones. luckily (much like carrots) the roasting process increases the amount of antioxidants available[5][6].

If roasted seeds aren’t your thing, you can compost them to potentially avoid roasting in global warming. Composting food scraps keeps organic matter out of landfills, where it would otherwise break down anaerobically and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

By composting, you ensure that the material decomposes in an aerobic (oxygen-rich) environment, which produces less harmful emissions. As a result, composting reduces carbon emissions and helps mitigate climate change.[9]

Make sure to practice good knife safety tips so you don’t end up in the ER (the only thing scarier than current events is medical debt)

Our household prefers to eat pumpkins (cooked). We love the sweet taste, similar to sweet potatoes. Not to mention their delicious nutritional benefits.

This fall skip the processed foods: like long pumpkin spiced latte lines and get back to a whole-food plant-based diet. Starting with pumpkins!

Let’s discuss their benefits:

The health benefits of pumpkin

Pumpkins aren’t scary, they’ve just been carved into being scary halloween symbols! The first hint that pumpkins are nutritious are their orange color.

In foods, orange typically means the presence of an antioxidant called beta carotene. Beta carotene (latin for carrot) gives fruits and vegetables their orange color. We first eat with our eyes (our nose too. And cooked pumpkins smell delicious). Pumpkins are highly visible fruits. Yes, that’s right! Pumpkins grow from flowers, and are botanically considered a fruit.

It’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t judge the beta carotene content of food solely on orange color alone. Kale and spinach are both green and have lots of beta carotene in them.

Along with antioxidants, pumpkins have fiber and (along with other healthy lifestyle choices) can improve digestion, cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Their beta carotene content may help promote healthy vision too! Heck, Cinderella even used them as an emergency vehicle, inspiring farmers to name a pumpkin variety after her.

Holiday or not, Pumpkin are unsung heroes of health. They are also rich in:

Dietary fiber
Beta carotene

Promotes healthy digestion and eye health as well as regulates blood pressure and even contains sleep promoting tryptophan (the same ingredient found in turkey. Guilt-free sleep!)[10]

Spices to pair with pumpkin dishes

While I don’t have a specific recipe (yet) to recommend, I usually stick to savory dishes as I don’t have too much of a sweet tooth these days. But if I did, I would probably opt for some apples (if I’m not in my scrubs) or an orange while If i’m seeing patients. Because an apple a day keeps the doctor away and I kept missing work! But anyway, back to pumpkins and spices.

Ginger

Between all the holidays (thanksgiving and Christmas) and change to colder weather, I find fall to be the perfect time to use up some of my spices that may have been neglected throughout the year. Unless you’re using recipes with lots of nutmeg or clove, people struggle to use up these spices. And it ends up hiding in the back of some pantry like my Chef cousin (it’s 2024, Harjit love yourself for who you are).

Ginger and turmeric (and other spices listed below) may support a healthier mind, likely through reducing inflammation. And as they say, never forget your roots. With ginger root (and turmeric, by the way) you likely won’t! Both spices promote a healthy brain.

While both these spices resemble roots in their unprocessed form, they are not root. They are rhizomes: a unique botanical classification for a stem that grows underground and produces roots and shoots.

Ginger may also reduce bloating. This is helpful, as foods (like pumpkins) high in fiber may cause bloating in some people, especially those new to a plant-based diet[8].

Ginger, along with allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon, add a warm aromatic flavor to the pumpkin dish, and also compliment the natural sweetness of cooked pumpkin. Which given the fiber-packed nutrition profile of pumpkins, is certainly a healthier source of sweetness than the sickly-sweet candy kids get when trick-or-treating. I mean, don’t get me started on the half-truth that is candy corn (it’s candy, not corn)!

Cinnamon

Known for its beautiful reddish/brown color and natural sweetness (while potentially lowering blood sugar). Cinnamon (along with the previous spices mentioned) are a natural anti-inflammatory. What makes it unique are its natural antibacterial properties. Through the reduction of bacteria, it may reduce acne, lower blood sugar and promote dental hygiene[4]

Cumin

Similar to cinnamon, cumin may have antibacterial properties, potentially limiting the growth of E. coli (a common cause of food poisoning)[2].

Rosemary

Rosemary is high in manganese (a digestion-promoting mineral). It has anti-inflammatory anti-cancer properties[3]

Cloves

We already discussed the benefits of cloves. Check out our Hot Momma tea.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg has antibacterial properties as well as promoting heart and liver health. It has fiber which helps in reducing blood sugar[7].