If you are craving pumpkin during pregnancy, you need not hesitate to include it in your diet. Pumpkin and its seeds are highly nutritious and beneficial for pregnant women. The fiber-rich fruit helps prevent and treat constipation. Additionally, the seeds help maintain a healthy pumping heart and aids in the baby’s bone formation. Besides these benefits, pumpkins offer many other health advantages. It is also a versatile ingredient and can be incorporated into different foods, both sweet and savory. This post explains the benefits of consuming pumpkin and pumpkin seeds during pregnancy and some delicious recipes to incorporate this ingredient into your diet.
Health Benefits Of Pumpkin During Pregnancy
Eating pumpkin and its seeds when you are pregnant has many healthy benefits. However, it is important you also get a confirmation from your doctor before consuming either while you are pregnant.
1. Prevent And Soothe Abdominal Cramps:
Pumpkin can help prevent and even take care of those cramps you experience during pregnancy in your abdomen. You can either steam it or cook it, or even stir-fry it.
2. Loaded With Nutrition:
Pumpkins have lots of important nutrients that are good for you while you are pregnant.
They contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron, calcium, niacin and phosphorus.
3. Prevents Diarrhea:
Eating pumpkins can reduce your chances of diarrhea and eczema, which can often be a common ailment when you are pregnant.
Pumpkins help remove worms from your intestine and clean your spleen, reducing any chances of a stomach infection during your pregnancy.
4. Keep Blood Sugar Levels In Check:
Pumpkin can help to reduce your blood sugar levels.
Make sure you have it without any added sweetener or sugar to avail of this benefit.
5. Protein Rich:
Pumpkins are especially good for you during your pregnancy because they contain a high amount of protein. Pumpkin is also rich in fiber, which prevents constipation during your pregnancy.
Health benefits of eating pumpkin seeds in pregnancy
1. Is Healthy For Your Heart:
Just eating a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds will provide you with almost half the daily requirement of your magnesium intake.
It helps your heart to pump properly and is good for the formation of your baby’s bones and teeth. It will also help prevent constipation, which is a common problem pregnant women face.
2. Zinc Rich:
Pumpkin seeds are high in their zinc content.
It helps strengthen your immune system, helps you sleep better and also helps control your mood swings, which are common during pregnancy.
3. Good For Preventing Diabetes:
Pumpkin seeds help improve your insulin regulation, especially if you are a diabetic or are at a risk.
It is especially helpful to prevent any diabetic complications as it reduces oxidative stress.
4. Helps Soothe And Delay Menopausal Effects:
Eating pumpkin seeds will provide your body with natural phytoestrogens, which help increase the good cholesterol in your body.
It helps ease many menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, headaches, blood pressure levels and even joint pain.
5. Promotes Sleep:
Pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, an amino acid, which your body converts into the sleep hormone melatonin. Difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep is a common concern when you are pregnant. Eat pumpkin seeds a few hours before you sleep to help you fall asleep better. (2)
Pumpkin And Pumpkin Seed Recipes
Here are a few pumpkin and pumpkin seed recipes that you can try:
1. Creamy Pumpkin And Lentil Soup:
You Will Need:
1 tbsp. and 1 tsp olive oil
2 chopped onions
2 chopped garlic cloves
800 g chopped pumpkin without the flesh, including the seeds
100 g split red lentils
1 pack thyme
1 l hot vegetable stock
A pinch of sugar and salt
50 g crème Fraiche and a little extra to be added while serving
How To:
2. Spiced Pumpkin Seeds:
You Will Need:
1 ½ tbsp. melted margarine
½ tsp salt
1/8thtsp garlic salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
How To:
3. Pumpkin And Sage Spaghetti:
You Will Need:
800 g chopped pumpkin flesh
1 tsp golden caster sugar
100 g butter
About 20 roughly chopped sage leaves
350 g dried spaghetti
Juice of a lemon
50 g grated Parmesan
Pepper to taste
How To:
