pumpkin

We are full swing into Fall around my house! Besides running 9 miles, I spent my Sunday getting in the Halloween spirit and baking these delicious pumpkin muffins. Skinnytaste.com has been my go-to for healthy recipes and I can’t get enough of their “Skinny Pumpkin Madness“. And yes, I even brought out the skeleton plates. 🙂

Click here for the recipe.

Going to a Halloween party or need a cute idea for a Halloween lunch in the office? Ok, I wish I can say I thought of this, but leave it to good ol’ Pinterest. Such cute, healthy ideas, definitely planning to make these soon. (I don’t know who made these, sorry for not having a reference.)

Are you excited for Halloween and getting in the spirit?

With Halloween right around the corner I am obsessing over everything pumpkin right now! I went to Trader Joe’s a couple of days ago and picked up a ton of pumpkin goodies. Pumpkin butter, pumpkin spice latte mix and a couple of cute mini pumpkins just for decoration. I couldn’t resist researching to see what the health benefits of pumpkin are, and here is what I found.

Pumpkin is low in fat and calories and rich in disease fighting nutrients such as:

Alpha-carotene: healthy vision & proper immune function, can also slow aging.
Beta-carotene: can reverse skin damage & act as an anti-inflammatory.
Fiber: one-half cup serving contains 5 grams of fiber. Fiber helps reduce bad cholesterol levels, protects the body against heart disease, control blood sugar levels, promote healthy digestion, and plays a role in weight loss.
Vitamin C: boost immunity, reduces risk of high blood pressure and heart disease and regulates cholesterol levels.
Vitamin E: promotes healthy skin and protecting from sun damage.
Potassium: aids in balancing fluid levels in the body, promotes strong bones, necessary for energy production and helps control blood pressure.
Magnesium: aids the body in hundreds of functions, including promoting a healthy immune system, contributing to bone strength and normalizing heart function.

Pumpkin seeds also contain essential vitamins and minerals and are a good source of vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and are excellent plant-based source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Did you also know that canned pumpkin is also just as nutritious as fresh? This is all awesome news to me, and I am so ready to start making pumpkin soups, muffins, breads, smoothies as well as eating pumpkin seeds alone.

I came across a couple of recipes that I wanted to share. They all look amazing, but here are my favs: (click on the link to see the recipe)

{for more amazing skinny recipes visit skinnytaste.com; credits: suite101.com}

Speaking of Halloween, are you all planning on getting into the spirit and dressing up in costume? If so, please share! Have a great week everyone!

pumpkin

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