It’s that time of year when artfully-crafted Jack O’Lanterns perch on porches, pumpkin lovers rush to Starbucks, and aromas of pumpkin spice infuse the air. It’s very clear who the star of the show is this season. If you’re a lover of all things pumpkin, then you probably get giddy just by hearing the words: pumpkin and spice. If you don’t engage in the pumpkin hype, keep reading as we’re about to give you ten healthy reasons to fall in love with pumpkin, plus one tasty smoothie recipe sure to earn your 10/10 vote.

We’re going bold by just throwing this out there — pumpkin is a superfood! While there isn’t a “true” definition of superfood, the term signifies foods that are power-packed with nutrients that will do incredibly magical things for our bodies when we eat them. Based on pumpkin's nutritional profile, it can definitely hold a light to goji berries, acai, and kale. For example, pumpkin’s pretty orange hue does more than make us think of Halloween. That orange hue comes from phytonutrients. Phyto means “plant,” and phytonutrients are healing nutrients specific to only plant-based foods. There are over 25,000 phytonutrients and pumpkin holds several of them in just one little (or huge!) gourd.

Fun fact about pumpkins: There are approximately 20 species of pumpkin including names that sound like your favorite childhood stuffed animal like Snow Ball and Baby Boo. Then there’s the Yuxijiangbinggua—yes, it looks like our cat stomped on the keyboard and no, please don’t ask us how to pronounce it.  Different portions of this plant are consumed all over the world including the pulp and seeds that you know and love (hello, pumpkin pie and roasted pumpkin seeds) as well as the flowers, leaves, shoots, and roots. For today, we’ll stick with chatting about the most commonly consumed portions: the pulp and the seeds (but please let us know if you’ve tried the flowers, leaves, shoots, or roots!).