After all, Halloween is not far away and many of you will be having fun scooping out pumpkins to create jack-o’-lanterns to scare away evil spirits, even if you’re not knocking on people’s doors this year. Well, did you know those seeds you scoop out and generally throw away are actually pretty fantastic? Which is why we use them in EVERY tasty bag of seed mixes we make.

• Valued by native Americans for their dietary and medicinal goodness, it is said that they have been treasured since Aztec times
• They’re an anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-viral rich food which means that they do a great job helping to fight off non-beneficial gut bacteria and viruses
• A source of a whole host of minerals, including, manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, zinc, protein and iron
• They contain an awesome antioxidant compound called lignans which can help fight against disease, including some cancers
• 28g of pumpkin seeds has roughly 150 calories mainly from the healthy fats (please see more on healthy fats below)

We love the delicious nutty taste of pumpkin seeds, they’re also just so easy to add to your diet. Simply munch a handful at any time, add them to smoothies, Greek style yogurt and fruit, or sprinkle them onto salads, soups or cereals. They’re also delicious added into baking, such as muffins, pancakes, flapjacks and flatbreads.
If you enjoyed this, you can read more about a balanced weekly diet in our ‘Hello Autumn’ blog here, and see our latest Autumn-inspired recipes here!