You know what’s scarier than ghosts and ghouls?
About 1.3 BILLION pumpkins are going to end up in the landfill this year!!!
Why is this such a bad thing?
Well, landfills generate 3 main problems; toxins, leachate (the liquid formed when waste breaks down and water filters through that waste), and greenhouse gases. The rotting of waste creates harmful gases such as CO2 and methane which contribute to polluting our environment, including water and soil.
However, landfills are necessary for proper disposal of waste, but as individuals, we can help reduce our contribution to the landfill.
Here are 3 ways for swimmers to make the most of their Halloween pumpkins!
Just because Halloween is over, doesn’t mean the pumpkin recipes stop.
1. Roasted pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds are a superfood, full of omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, calcium, and iron which are essential in a swimmer’s diet.
How to make it:
- Rinse seeds under cold water and remove all pulp and strings
- Place seeds on a baking sheet and make sure to dry them.
- Season the seeds with your choice of seasonings. I like cinnamon sugar or even plain salt.
- Bake at 225 degrees for about 40-45 minutes while continually stirring every 15 min or so.
2. Homemade pumpkin puree: Yes, making pumpkin puree at home is quite easy and it’s fresh!
How to make it:
- Cut pumpkin into pieces, remove all seeds, pulp, and string, then place onto a roasting pan
- Oil the pieces onto the pan and place face down
- Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40-45min or until the pumpkin is tender.
- Remove the outer skin of the pumpkin pieces.
- Place the peeled pumpkin into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Once fully blended you can use the puree immediately or store in an airtight container.
3. With the homemade pumpkin puree you can make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Photo Credit: Amy Okada
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup of all-purpose flour or choice of flour
- ¼ cup of brown sugar or sugar of choice
- 2 ¼ tsp of baking powder
- ¼ tsp of baking soda
- 4-5 tsp of pumpkin spice ( blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves)
- ¼ tsp of salt
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (116g)
- ½ cup (122ml) nut milk
- 3-4 tbsp of neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon of maply syrup
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
Toppings: Optional
- Chocolate chips
- Pumpkin seeds
- Any nuts
- Preheat oven to 365 degrees/ 180 degrees C
How to make it:
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients in 2 separate bowls and then combine the wet ingredients into the dry. Then add in your chocolate chips and nuts. Make sure to not overmix everything.
- Transfer the mix into a well greased or parchment-lined loaf pan. Top with extra toppings if favored.
- Bake from 50- 60 min or until the toothpick from the center comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool before slicing and enjoy!
If you didn’t carve your pumpkin, they can last up to 12 weeks before they start to rot. You can then save them for Thanksgiving!
Make sure to check out @goodfood.happymood on Instagram and tag your creations to be featured!
All delicious!