Easy and Delicious Pumpkin Seed Recipes

These pumpkin seed recipes are some great combinations of ingredients and spices to spice up your pumpkin seeds for Halloween and Thanksgiving.



My favorite is the cinammon recipe. Pumpkin seeds are really healthy for you, so getting them to taste great will encourage you to eat more of them. They make a great snack especially in the fall when pumpkins are in season.

Enjoy these pumpkin seed recipes.

Halloween Toys for Party Favor Bags

Holidays like Halloween are a time when we celebrate by eating too much chocolate, chips, candy and other unhealthy items. The sad truth is - our children are becoming increasingly overweight, and most eat too much junk food all year round. Allowing them to collect as much free candy as they can in a couple of hours is sending a message that it is alright to eat junk when it is free/when it is a holiday/ when it is tradition. How can you still let kids have fun but limit the junk? My solution is to replace the candy with fun trick or treat toys.

Halloween toys are no costlier than candy, but will last longer. They can be given out as individual items, or smaller ones can be combined in Halloween party favor bags. Kids will collect enough candy from other houses anyways, and most love the surprise of getting fun toys. There are useful toys like: Halloween pencils; erasers; stampers hair elastics; and bouncy balls. There are also craft items to decorate or assemble. Some are just goofy, gooey or spooky novelties that kids love - like plastic spiders; bats; rings; finger puppets; mini skateboards; stuffed toys; etc.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of no sugar, there is also no allergy (nut, milk, wheat) concerns with toys. Bringing toys to school poses no risk to other kids with allergies, and parents do not need to search through toys to find potentially harmful allergens.

Also, as I often tell my clients, if you don't bring junk in the house - you can't be tempted to eat it. I have had many distraught parents say that they bought candy early and ended up eating most of it before Halloween began. The other big benefit with Halloween toys is that you can store leftovers for next year.

Top 10 Tips on Healthy Eating at Halloween

1. Halloween can wreak havoc with your weight, blood sugar levels and dental health. Here are my Top 10 Tips for healthy eating at Halloween.
   
   Instead of candy, buy Halloween toys for treats. Small, inexpensive toys like Halloween pencils, mini balls, stickers, vampire teeth, spider rings and other fun novelties are great fun for kids. Halloween toys can cost as little as 5 or 10 cents each, so you don't need to spend more money than you do on candy. Toys won't tempt you to break your diet; don't contain food allergens like some candies; and extras can be stored for next year. You can even buy Halloween toothbrushes to give out as treats!
2. 
   Do not buy candy early in the month. The more time candy is sitting in your cupboard, the more willpower you will need to have. Too many people buy candy early, only to discover most of it has been eaten before the trick or treaters come around.
3. 
   Buy brands of candy you do NOT like. Every one has different tastes, and the trick or treat gatherers may love a type of candy you do not like. You face less temptation this way.
4. 
   Do not let your kids skip dinner before they go out trick or treating. They will eat more candy and junk to fill up and will be lacking the protein necessary in their diet.
5. 
   Limit trick or treating time. The more time trick or treating = the more houses = the more candy = the more total calories and sugar your child (family) will consume.
6. 
   After you have checked through the candy to make sure it is safe, let your child pick out 3 or 4 pieces to eat. Throw out any candy that looks questionable. Store the rest of the collected candy in a container and put it on a high shelf. Let your child have 1 or 2 pieces a day until the candy is gone.
   
7. 
   Take some of the candy, like Smarties or M & M's, and store them separately for baking use. Next time your child has a birthday, or needs to make cupcakes for school, you can use these colourful candies for decorations.
   
8. 
   Not all of the candy has to be eaten. Throw some out as the weeks go by and the child is less focused on the treats from Halloween.
   
9. 
   Make sure your child balances candy with proper food. Provide a healthy snack like fruit, yogurt, crackers and cheese, etc. when your child comes home hungry. They will be less likely to binge on candy if they are not starving.
10. 
    There are fun and healthy foods that are associated with Halloween. Pull out and roast the seeds from the pumpkins when you are carving them. Take advantage of the apples, squash, tomatoes and vegetables in season. Turn the focus from candy to the wonderful harvest foods that are available this time of year.

Changing focus from candy to activities, crafts and games, will help your child associate Halloween with more than just collecting sweets. Setting a good example and learning nutrition facts can help you ensure that Halloween is not so scary for your family's health

Pumpkin Seeds - Nutrition Facts - Nutritional Value

With Halloween and Thanksgiving around the corner, you are probably buying your pumpkins already. If you are not sure how to roast the seeds, I am uploading a video I found that explains it pretty well. I have already started roasting my own, since pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrients.




A typical serving of 1/4 cup has 186 calories, contains amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids like Omega 3. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of manganese, magnesium and phosphorus, and contain zinc, iron, tryptophan, vitamins and cancer fighting cucurbitace.

Pumpkin seeds are a great school snack since they don't trigger allergies. Like popcorn, pumpkin seeds can be roasted with seasonings, herbs, spices and sauces like soy or tobasco. I was a bit dissapointed with the amount of seeds I got out of my first pumpkin. It is easier to buy them online, since they are already prepared and available all year round. I have provided a link for ordering seeds online. Pumpkin seeds can help lower cholesterol, fight certain cancers, improve bladder function, kidney function and brain function. So many health benefits - and they taste great! A snack you can definitely indulge in!

Pumpkin Seeds Nutrition Facts - Buy Pumpkin Seeds Online

Next time you make a pumpkin pie, do not throw the seeds out! You would be throwing away a really nutritious (and delicious) snack. Pumpkin seeds have been used for centuries by Native American Indians for their medicinal and nutritional value. We are only beginning to discover the wonderful health benefits and pumpkin seed nutrition facts.

Buy Dry Roasted and Salted (RNS) Pumpkin Seeds Here


We do know that pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of minerals like phosphorus, magnesium and manganese, along with zinc, iron, tryptophan, as well as several vitamins. Pumpkins are part of the gourd family, along with canteloupes and squash. The seeds from these gourds contain a substance called cucurbitace, which has proven to be an inhibitor for certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer. The seeds also contain amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and Omega 3 fats, and can help lower cholesterol. Studies with pumpkin seeds have also shown beneficial results with learning disabilties, urinary tract infections, incontinence, depression, kidney problems and treatment of parasites. With so many health benefits, you should eat pumpkin seeds all year round - not just in the fall.

You can roast pumpkin seeds yourself or buy them already roasted. Seeds can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a month. You can add seeds to salads, veggie dishes, cereals, lunchboxes,bread mixes, muffins and more. You can also grind up the seeds and sprinkle them on oatmeal or hot cereal, add to meat mixtures and salad dressings. Click here for more pumpkin seeds uses and recipes, and a link for great prices on-line.

Childhood Obesity Causes

Children in western nations are becoming overweight and obese at an alarming rate. They are experiencing more health problems that were previously only found in adults. Type II diabetes is becoming epidemic among children, affectin 1 in every 3 children being born today.

What are the reasons for the rise in obesity. Some causes are:
1) Sedentary lifestyles. Most childhood activities consist of sitting in front of a video game, television or computer. With an unlimited supply of websites, games, DVD's and channels, there is always something of interest to watch or play. I had 3 channels on TV when I was growing up, which was why we spent most of our time playing outdoors. We also walked and took our bikes more. Now kids have remote controls, automatic car windows, and text messaging to talk with friends. There is less reason for them to move or exert themselves.

2) Portion Control. Restaurants are serving portions that are much too large for an average meal. The kids fries at McDonald's used to be the adult size when the restaurant first opened. Free or discounted offers to 'supersize' or move up to a bigger size has people taking the 'bargain' along with all the calories that comes with it. For people that are taught to eat everything on their plate, this spells big trouble.

3) Processed foods. Kids eat way too much fast food, processed food and food with little or no nutritional value. If your child eats a lot of items that come from a package, they are eating foods that have been processed, chemically treated, sugar and preservative filled, etc. Many urban kids do not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Kids are eating foods that are not providing nutrients they need for growing bodies. What these foods do provide is calories - mainly empty ones - that cause children to gain weight.

There are many other reasons, including psychological ones, lack of information, poor examples as set by the family, etc. Knowledge is the key to learning how much is enough, what foods they should eat and should avoid, and how to increase activity to decrease their weight.