Halloween is on Saturday, so the good for you food of the week is, what else, pumpkin. Pumpkin is a winter squash. It has many of the same nutritional benefits as butternut squash. However, an added bonus for pumpkin is that the seeds are also edible and have their own nutritional benefits.

That stuff you normally scoop out of your jack-o-lantern and toss aside? Don’t; it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals. One cup of pumpkin contains more than a day’s worth of vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene. You’ll also get vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese, as well as copper, B vitamins (B1, B3, B5, and B6), tryptophan, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. Beta-carotene can help prevent stroke and heart attacks, regulate blood sugar, and it has been linked to reducing the risk of colon cancer. Many of us don’t get enough beta-carotene. Including pumpkin in your diet is a great way to increase your daily amount.

Pumpkin seeds contain manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, tryptophan, zinc, copper, vitamin K, and protein. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to save the seeds when you carve your Halloween pumpkins. They’re easy to roast and make a delicious, tasty snack that can be a nice contrast to all the chocolaty, sugary treats that seem to be everywhere these days. Once they’re scooped out of the pumpkin, wipe them clean, spread them out and let them dry overnight. Then spread them in a single layer and roast them on a very low oven setting, about 170, for 15 to 20 minutes. A sprinkle of kosher salt is a nice complement, but they’re delicious just by themselves. In stores, you can find them packaged or in their natural state, sold as pepitas.

Pumpkin is surprisingly versatile. Of course it’s most plentiful at this time of year, but you can find it canned all year round, making it easy to add to recipes. It’s great in soups and stews. It gives a subtle autumn flavor to pasta dishes like ravioli and baked ziti. And who doesn’t like pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins? Add pumpkin seeds to salads and cereals. You can even grind them up and add them to burgers or meat loaf.

There are many other uses for pumpkins. They look lovely carved out and lighting the path to your door on Halloween, or just gathered together in various sizes for your tablescape. It can be part of a fun family outing. You can even use your pumpkin for a workout. What? No, really. Check out how this blogger took a creative approach to “pump’kin iron.” Now that’s genius. Feeling a little silly after that workout? You’ll want to check out this blogger’s creative use for pumpkins, too. Way to use your head.

How do you enjoy pumpkin?

Do you use pumpkin year round, or only in the autumn?

Read all the good for you food of the week articles

Check out this index of pumpkin recipes from AllRecipes