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Pumpkin pollution is a problem—here's what you can do

More than one billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year, and after they’ve been used for Halloween decorations, pies, and jack-o’-lanterns, millions of them—large, mini, orange, white, heirloom—will end up in a landfill. “Driving around after Halloween, you see people with pumpkins on top of their garbage cans. All of that will go to a landfill and become methane gas,” says Kay McKeen, the executive director at SCARCE, an environmental education organization based in Illinois. Methane is a greenhouse gas. Compared to carbon dioxide, it warms the atmosphere in a shorter amount of time, which means it’s a particularly potent cause of climate change. (Learn more about greenhouse…

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 Pumpkin: The New Wonderfood

Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween, people. With a wealth of health benefits, here's why you might want to introduce some more orange into your diet this autumn. And we're not just talking about pumpkin spiced lattes, FYI. Pumpkins are absolutely everywhere at this time of year, but most of us only think of them as things to carve, not things to eat. The humble pumpkin has so much more to offer, though, and here's why you should think about adding some to your diet pronto.

 The twisted transatlantic tale of American jack-o’-lanterns

Celtic rituals, tricks of nature, and deals with the devil have all played a part in creating this iconic symbol of Halloween.

Articles of Interest

Afternoon Snack: 5 Ways Pumpkin Boosts Your Health

It's not even October, and we're already ga-ga for pumpkin here. If you're too, pat yourself on the back, because pumpkin is one healthy food ...

Another Reason Why Pumpkin Seeds Are Little Powerhouses

Pumpkin seeds: More than health powerhouses, these little guys are packed with beauty benefits, too.

Cancer-Fighting Food: Pumpkin

While nothing says ‘autumn’ better than the faint smell of pumpkin spice, these superfoods offer more than just a beloved latte flavor. With 45 different varieties of pumpkins, ranging from squash to classic jack-o-lanterns, these vegetables allow for versatility in the kitchen. In addition to being tasty, pumpkins are also one of the top cancer-fighting foods individuals can add to their diet as they are packed with antioxidants and nutrients.

How Ancient Humans Helped Bring Pumpkins to Your Thanksgiving Table

Jack-o-lanterns, butternut squash soup, pumpkin pie — autumn wouldn’t be complete without squashes and gourds. Squashes originated in the Americas before the arrival of humans and became dietary and cultural staples for the first residents of Mesoamerica around 10,000 years ago. But our modern favorites, like zucchinis and Jack-o-lantern pumpkins, looked — and tasted — a lot different back then...

How Healthy Is Pumpkin?

It’s the quintessential flavor of fall and comes with lots of nutritional perks.

How the Formerly Ubiquitous Pumpkin Became a Thanksgiving Treat

The history of Cucurbita pepo has a surprising connection to the abolitionist cause.

Pumpkin Power: The benefits of adding pumpkin to your diet

“Pumpkins are members of the winter squash family and originated in North America about 9,000 years ago,” Davis said. Davis says pumpkins can be a great addition to a person’s diet because they offer a range of health benefits. Their orange color results from a high level of vitamin A and beta carotene, which is beneficial for vision, skin, and the immune and cardiovascular systems.

Pumpkin season is back. But are they good for you?

As we head into fall, pumpkin-flavored drinks and foods are coming back into season, and experts say that pumpkins are high in nutrients and can be beneficial to your health. Here's what you need to know.

The Amazing Power of Pumpkins

Though pumpkin-flavored anything is more than enough reason to celebrate, you can add one more item to the “pumpkin-season-is-amazing” list – pumpkins are full of health benefits! T

The Health and Beauty-Boosting Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds, Plus 4 News Ways to Eat Them

Pumpkin seeds are alkaline-forming, which means they can help counter acidic diets. They're also a fantastic natural source of zinc—an essential mineral that research shows can fight against osteoporosis and also...pimples!—and magnesium, which helps keep your heart pumping perfectly, relax your blood vessels, and even aid in bowel functions.

The Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Despite pumpkin’s iconic status as the unofficial Halloween mascot, it is more than just a pretty (jack-o-lantern) face. In fact, the health benefits of pumpkin are pretty remarkable. Not only is it packed full of nutrients that support the vitality of the gut, skin, hair, and more—but it also tastes delicious and is low-calorie and high-fiber, too.

The Many Faces Of The Great Pumpkin

The pumpkin is a multi-use vegetable. The seeds are delicious after being soaked in lightly salted water and then dried in the oven, perfect for scattering on salads or eating out of hand, and the flesh is sweet and mild, especially after a sojourn in the oven. Then, too, there are the health benefits: Pumpkins are high in vitamin A, iron and potassium.

What are the health benefits of eating pumpkin?

Many people see pumpkins as fun Halloween decorations rather than a nutritious food, but there are actually a lot of health benefits to eating pumpkins.

Why Pumpkins And Squashes Aren’t Extinct

The pumpkin shouldn’t exist. Nor should squashes, gourds, and courgettes. These common dinner-table vegetables are all part of a group of plants called Cucurbita, whose wild ancestors were deeply bitter and encased in tough rinds. They depended on large animals like mammoths to break them apart and disperse their seeds. And when these megabeasts went extinct, the squashes should have followed them.

Why you should be eating more pumpkin this fall

Don't miss out on the healthy benefits of this gourd-geous season. Take the iconic orange color of the fruit—it isn’t just for show. The hue is evidence of high amounts of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for vision, immunity, and keeping organs working properly. As a fat-soluble vitamin, Murphy Richter says it also helps the body better absorb other nutrients we eat from food.

Resources

Three reasons to eat pumpkins instead of carving them this Halloween

Each year thousands of acres of farmland are used to grow pumpkins which are merely carved and then thrown away. This could be considered a waste of valuable, nutritious and delicious food. So this year, you might want to consider turning your jack-o’-lantern into a delicious, homemade meal instead.