Pumpkins are one of my favorite superfoods! With so many impressive health benefits, they shouldn’t just be eaten seasonally, but rather any time of the year. I love pumpkin seeds and eat them as a snack almost every day.
With all the summer BBQs and parties, I have created my own summer dip, using one of my favorite superfoods: pumpkin. It has been a hit! It works well as a dip for veggies or chips and can even be a great substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Gina’s Pumpkin Dip
Ingredients
1 Roma tomato
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of avocado oil
1 tsp sea salt (if seeds are salt free)
1 clove garlic, (minced)
Directions
Blend the tomato, lemon, sea salt, garlic and avocado oil in a food processor. Add the pumpkin seeds and pulse until mixed well and creates a thick paste. You can puree longer to make a thinner dip or less for a thicker consistency. Use as a dip for veggies or chips or even as a spread over sandwiches! Enjoy!
Nutritional Information
(2 tablespoons)
Calories: 205
Fat: 20 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 2g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 4.5g
Here are some reasons as to why I love pumpkin and use it daily in my diet!
• Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A. Just a cup of cooked pumpkin gives you 200 percent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin A.
• Pumpkin is also rich in vitamin C, which is known to help boost your immune system. One cup is 20 percent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin C.
• Pumpkin is rich in fiber, allowing you to feel fuller for a longer time period with just a few calories. There are only 50 calories in a cup of pure pumpkin.
• Pumpkin reduces LDL or “bad cholesterol.”
• Pumpkin is full of free radicals to help keep your skin clear and healthy!
• Pumpkin is rich in the amino acid tryptophan. This is important in production of serotonin, which helps boost your mood!
• Pumpkin is rich in potassium, which help keep your electrolytes in balance.
