hePerhaps… If you hollow it out and light a candle inside it…but there might be another, more delicious way to sharpen your night vision and go trick or treating with an advantage.
Don’t bin the Pulp!
Pumpkins contain so many great nutritious things so next time you hollow one out to make a jack o’ lantern, don’t waste any of the pulp! Why not think about making a warming and delicious seasonal treat?
The list of nutritious elements in a humble pumpkin are astounding, and with all the beta carotene will ceratinly help you to see in the dark. Although we all might have guessed Vitamin C, fibre and Iron, perhaps even magnesium and zinc – how many would have known that the pesky little seeds of a pumpkin are a valuable source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
So, if oily fish is not for you, you should give the humble pumkin a go since it will also help to jump start the neurons in your brain that feed on fatty acids.
Oh, I see…
Pumpkins also contain beta carotene (also found in carrots) which is a building block of Vitamin A. Hence the reason WW2 RAF pilots were encouraged to eat carrots to help them see better at night!
This was actually part of a campaign to help convince the enemy that British pilots had superhuman eyesight – and helped distract from the fact that England had stealthily invented Radar – an enormously important secret weapon that could actually ‘see at night’.
Although the quantity of carrots consumed to achieve ‘night vision’ would, scientifically have been unrealistic, there was some logic behind the thinking. Certainly Vitamin A is an essential part of caring for good eyesight. A shortage of this vitamin is a genuine problem for children in the third world today.
How fortunate, then that beta carotene can be eaten in such a tasty way in a perfect pumpkin pie recipe.
See for yourself
Here, at the cooking academy, we believe passionately that healthy eating equals tasty eating, so why not join us – whatever your cooking ability – in an amazing voyage around the world of spices and cuisine?
On any one of our one day classes we can take you in an effortless and informative way through the theory and practice of making healthy food that will open your eyes to a world of flavours.
Our gift vouchers also make a great present for that certain someone who might need to sharpen up their cooking skills.
So book a class today. It’s plain to see, you can’t go wrong…
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
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