Packed with fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, pepitas are a guilt free snack you can take with you anywhere (I like to munch on them when I travel). Here’s a quick rundown of the nutritional punch these yummy little seeds pack:
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Good quality protein – 100g of pumpkin seeds provides 54% of the recommended daily protein allowance. They also contain amino acids tryptophan and glutamate. Tryptophan converts into serotonin which can boost your mood and improve your sleep-wake cycle. Glutamate is required for the synthesis of GABA. GABA is a natural anti-stress chemical and helps in reducing stress, anxiety, and nervous irritability.
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High in antioxidant Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps protect the body’s tissues from harmful free radical damage.
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Packed with B-complex vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6 and folates.
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Essential minerals: copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.
Ok so they’re healthy right? Yup, they are also DELICIOUS so let’s make some!
Pumpkin Spiced Pepitas:
- 2 cups pepitas
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 300*F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, coating the pepitas well, then spread in a single layer on prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.
Store them in the resealable bag your pepitas came in (if it’s now empty) or in an airtight glass container.
This recipe is just a starting point, you can do all kinds of flavor combos catering to your taste preference: sweet, salty, spicy. Go forth and experiment.
Enjoy!
