Ever wondered whether you can eat pumpkin raw? The answer is yes, and there are plenty of benefits. Read on to learn how to add raw pumpkin to your diet.
Yes, you can eat pumpkin raw. Furthermore, eating raw pumpkin and raw pumpkin seeds provides significantly more nutritional and health benefits than eating it cooked. Cooking minimizes water-soluble nutrients like vitamins B and C, and also reduces the vitamin A, potassium and copper content.
Before you start adding this raw vegetable to your diet, however, it’s important to learn how much raw pumpkin you should eat and what kind of things you can make with it.
Can You Eat Pumpkin Seeds Raw?
Just like pumpkin itself, it is safe to eat raw pumpkin seeds. They are packed full of nutrients like magnesium, which is beneficial to muscle function and nerves. These nutrients are reduced when the seeds are soaked or roasted.
However, raw pumpkin seeds also contain more antinutrients compared to roasted or cooked seeds. Antinutrients make it difficult to absorb nutrients, so it is important to eat these raw seeds in moderation.
Benefits of Eating Pumpkin Raw
Pumpkin is a healthy, nutritious, and vitamin-packed vegetable. Most impressive is its high content of vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy tissue and cell growth, protects you from infection, supports and boosts your immune system, and works as an antioxidant to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
These delicious winter squashes are also a great source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C, which all help promote a healthy heart. Pumpkin is grown in many places in the US, so it’s a great choice if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint by eating organic, locally-sourced produce.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Although eating pumpkin raw has several health benefits, there are some risks.
Firstly, eating any raw food increases your chances of food poisoning. This is more of an issue with pumpkin seeds, which can contain harmful bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella. Symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and vomiting. Raw vegetables are also a food to avoid when you have diarrhea. However, developing food-borne illnesses from eating them is very rare.
To be on the safe side, practice effective and careful food safety. For example, store your seeds in an airtight container, keep them dry, and eat them in two to three months to reduce the risk of infection.
What Does It Taste Like?
Raw pumpkin and raw pumpkin seeds have a distinct taste compared to their cooked counterparts. Raw pumpkin has a bitter, fibrous and fresh taste to it. The texture is also quite stringy and slippery. It is tough, so we recommend grating or puréeing your raw pumpkin before eating it. Raw seeds have a mild flavor and a chewy texture.
Despite raw pumpkin being somewhat less flavorful than when roasted or cooked, it is still a tasty addition to soups, salads and sandwiches. Add it to a meal for a boost of nutrition.
How Can You Eat Raw Pumpkin?
To make eating uncooked foods more appetizing, there are plenty of tips and tricks for packing in the flavor. For example:
- Marinate cubed raw pumpkin with oil, vinegar and spices for a sweet or savory topping on your salads and soups.
- Grate or purée it, and mix it in with your favorite yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Replace carrot and cucumber sticks with pumpkin sticks in homemade veggie sushi.
- Slice raw pumpkin thinly and dip into homemade hummus.
You can use raw pumpkin seeds as a fresh snack or topping:
- Season raw seeds with your favorite spices, and eat them as a tasty snack, or as a garnish on soups and salads.
- Add raw pumpkin seeds to your homemade trail mix and enjoy some added texture and crunch.
- If you are into raw pumpkin fleshP but don’t fancy the seeds, try our tips on how to eat pumpkin seeds in other ways, and, the classic option: how to roast pumpkin seeds.
Wondering whether you can eat the pumpkin skin, too? You often can! Read more about it in our guide on the topic.
Read more:
- How to Plant and Grow Pumpkins: All You Need to Know
- How to Make Pumpkin Dip: All Natural Recipe
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake: An Easy Fall Recipe
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