Pumpkin seeds help you lose weight

• why pumpkin seeds help you lose weight
• The SECRET Step to roasting perfect pumpkin seeds
• make pumpkin seeds a balanced snack

When I say Halloween, do you think candy?

Carving pumpkins?

Cauldrons and cobwebs?

Or do black cats come to mind…

Maybe you think of costumes.

Have you noticed that Halloween has turned into an excuse to become a sexy [blank]?

Like instead of dressing up as a witch, people go as a sexy witch.
Or a sexy Donald Trump…
Or even a sexy plant-based burger:

Source: Good Housekeeping ’26 Funny, Sexy Halloween Costumes for 2019′ – images and outfits yandy.com

What’s this got to do with how pumpkin seeds help you lose weight?

Absolutely nothing.

Just some water-cooler banter before we begin.

Ok. So, for the 10 years I tried to lose weight I NEVER would’ve eaten roasted pumpkin seeds.

Why?

Because they’re made with oil and I was scared—like Freddy Krueger scared—of eating fat.

But now I know that eating fat helps you lose weight.

Roasted pumpkin seeds help you lose weight

…because they’re made with natural ingredients.

The natural choice is the healthiest choice and the healthiest choice helps you lose weight.

Why pumpkin seeds help you lose weight

Pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) are full of nutrition, including:

• iron
• magnesium
• zinc
• copper
• B vitamins
• fiber
• natural fats ( = healthy fats!)
• potassium
• protein
• tryptophan (your body changes tryptophan into a brain chemical called serotonin that boosts mood and helps you sleep)

When you make pumpkin seeds part of a balanced meal (they add a nice crunch to the salad part of your meal) or part of a balanced snack, you get all the essential vitamins and minerals your body requires. Then you fill up naturally and don’t eat more than you need. In other words, when you meet your body’s nutrition needs, you feel full.

Whereas processed foods are packed with unnatural ingredients that don’t meet your body’s needs. So you stay hungry. And you keep eating.

The SECRET Step to roasting the perfect pumpkin seeds

When I was kid we roasted pumpkin seeds by pulling them out of the pumpkin and throwing them on a cookie tray with a bit of salt.

They were great and I loved them. (This was before I began dieting obsessively).

But recently Alex introduced me to The SECRET Step.

And he did The SECRET Step when roasting squash seeds.

So if you’ve carved your pumpkin and the seeds are long gone, you can still roast seeds all winter when you eat squash. I’m not a big fan of squash. But I love squash soup with a dollop of full-fat sour cream on top, cracked pepper and a handful of cilantro.

Below you’ll find 5 photos that walk you through how to roast pumpkin seeds… including The SECRET Step. (Have I built this up enough yet?)

Then a printable recipe follows, that details the specifics (like timing, oven temperature and so on).

There’s also a bit of troubleshooting.

Let’s begin…

Scoop out the seeds

Cut open your pumpkin and get in there.

Separate the seeds

The easiest way to isolate the seeds from the pumpkin guts is to put them in a bowl of water.

The seeds will rise to the top and you can easily pull them away from the stringy orange substance.

I’m not too particular as a little roasted pumpkin innards tastes good to me.

The SECRET Step to roasting pumpkin seeds

Boil your seeds.

Yup. That’s right.

Bring your pot of water and pumpkin seeds to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. This makes the seeds crispier and easier to digest.

Strain your pumpkin seeds

Then pat those slippery suckers (to quote Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman) until they’re pretty dry. Just get the excess water off, they don’t have to be bone dry.

Pluck off the pumpkin seeds that stick to the paper towel.

Put pumpkin seeds on a baking tray

Massage them with a bit of olive oil and add a sprinkle of sea salt. (People don’t say sprinkle enough. Please make a point of saying it sometime today.)

Then bake!

Now your pumpkin seeds are ready to eat

Along with tons of essential vitamins and minerals, pumpkin seeds are a digestible protein and PACKED with fiber. In my book I explain why fiber helps you fill up naturally, stay full longer, lose weight and be SUPER healthy. Your body loooves fiber. And the ONLY kind that matters is the fiber found in natural foods. While my book goes into depth about fiber, it’s just a tidy two-page spread. I read a ton of research on the impressive work fiber does in your body and it’s changed how I see food. So I quickly tucked it into Step 2 (of 3) in my book just before it went to the printers.

Make pumpkin seeds part of a balanced snack that helps you lose weight

Here’s how to make roasted pumpkin seeds part of a ROUGHLY balanced snack made MOSTLY of whole foods:

Fruit & Vegetables
orange
in this picture I have an apple but an orange is better
because pumpkin seeds are packed with iron and Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron

Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta & other starchy carbohydrates
n/a
it’s ok to not have a perfectly balanced snack – be flexible!

Oils & spreads
there’s oil on your pumpkin seeds

Dairy & alternatives
latte made with whole milk
Please Note: calcium inhibits the absorption of iron
so consider having a milky coffee shortly after eating your orange & pumpkin seeds
a delay will allow you to get the maximum nutrition

Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat & other proteins
pumpkin seeds
they’re a fiber-packed protein!

Troubleshooting

1. The inner seeds cook much faster than the outer shell so don’t judge the seed by its shell
2. The shells stay fairly white, even when they’re crispy and ready to eat
3. Keep checking the seeds over the last 5 minutes (take a few out and try them – yum!) because pumpkin seeds can easily burn!!!

Wishing you and yours a Happy Halloween!

Our black cat, Oliver, passed away 2 years ago just after Halloween. We miss him. Coconut’s no Halloween cat, but that’s ok. It’s important to BE YOURSELF.

Make Today Count

Don’t have a pumpkin?

Hate squash?

Next time you’re at the grocery store check out the seed aisle. There’s so many delicious seeds, from flax and chia to sesame and sunflower… that you can make part of your balanced meals and snacks.

Look for seeds that are RAW or dry roasted. They’re the closest to their natural state and therefore the healthiest option. If you can’t find them in the natural section of your grocery store, ask for help. Sometimes no one knows until they check the store computer 🙂

Build healthy eating and exercise habits. A healthy weight will follow.

Next Steps

Got a pumpkin? Love squash? There’s tons of interesting recipes for each… but don’t throw out the seeds! I hate waste. This roasted pumpkin seed recipe will help you dress up your balanced meals and snacks and reach a healthy weight naturally.

Are you going out tonight? Maybe to a Halloween Party?

Or staying in?

When you smash your pumpkins… roast your seeds!

Please share The SECRET Step in this post with anyone who loves roasted seeds and hates waste.

What’s your favourite pumpkin recipe?

 

Want a One-Day Meal Plan? It’s an example of what I eat each day These kinds of meals and snacks unlocked my HAPPY weight 21+ years ago (I lost 30 pounds without dieting!)

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Want a One-Day Meal Plan? It’s an example of what I eat each day These kinds of meals and snacks unlocked my HAPPY weight 21+ years ago (I lost 30 pounds without dieting!)

You'll also be subscribed to my newsletter. Don’t like it? Unsubscribe in one click

Want a One-Day Meal Plan?

It’s an example of what I eat  each day

These kinds of meals and snacks unlocked my HAPPY weight 21+ years ago (I lost 30 pounds without dieting!)

You'll also be subscribed to my newsletter. Don’t like it? Unsubscribe in one click