Among the seasonal ingredients of autumn, pumpkin is a very familiar one. The sweet and delicious taste of pumpkin is loved by many friends. Moreover, from the perspective of dietary health, eating pumpkin frequently in autumn can bring the following four major health benefits.
Four Benefits of Eating Pumpkin in Autumn
1. Tonify Qi and Benefit the Lungs
In the four seasons' health preservation, autumn is for nourishing the lungs. Therefore, one should eat more foods that benefit the lungs in autumn. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, pumpkin tonifies Qi and benefits the lungs. From a nutritional perspective, pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene and is also a great food for lung health. Therefore, for lung benefit, pumpkin is indispensable.
2. Strengthen the Spleen and Harmonize the Stomach
When autumn arrives, the hot weather turns cool, and after the bitter summer, the spleen and stomach are weak. Therefore, in autumn, one should first strengthen the spleen. Pumpkin is warm in nature and sweet in taste, entering the spleen meridian, making it an indispensable spleen-strengthening vegetable among vegetables. Especially pumpkin porridge is very suitable for people with a weak spleen.
3. Supplement Energy
For people with weak constitutions, especially the elderly, who eat less and often lack energy, the cold weather in autumn and winter can easily lead to a decrease in immunity, increasing the chance of catching a cold or relapsing from old illnesses.
Pumpkin has a high starch content among vegetables. If you eat it with a staple food, having a serving of pumpkin can increase energy intake, compensating for the energy deficiency from the staple food, which is very beneficial for enhancing body functions.
4. Delicious and Simple
Pumpkin has a soft texture that is easy to digest, and it is simple to prepare—steaming, stewing, or making porridge are all options. It can also be mixed with flour to make steamed buns or pancakes. Therefore, it is especially suitable for the elderly and people with various weak constitutions.
Pumpkin Recipes
1. Pumpkin Millet Porridge
Pumpkin Millet Porridge
300g pumpkin, 100g millet; Wash the pumpkin, cut it open, remove the seeds, and then cut into small pieces; Wash the millet. Place a pot on the stove, add an appropriate amount of water and bring to a boil, add millet and pumpkin pieces. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and cook until the millet is soft, the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked, and the porridge is thick. Tonifies the middle and replenishes Qi, strengthens the spleen and benefits the stomach. It has a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on symptoms such as weak spleen and stomach, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
2. Pumpkin and Almond Soup
250g pumpkin, 25g almonds; Wash and peel the pumpkin, cut into pieces, wash the almonds. Pour water into a pot, add pumpkin pieces, then add almonds and season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to low heat and cook until tender, add an appropriate amount of salt. It has the therapeutic effects of moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements, lowering lipids, and losing weight.
3. Pumpkin and Jujube Porridge
500g fresh pumpkin, 20g jujubes, an appropriate amount of brown sugar. Wash the pumpkin, peel and cut into pieces, wash the jujubes and remove the pits. Put them in a pot to simmer together. When cooked, add brown sugar and mix well. Pumpkin and jujube porridge has the effects of strengthening the spleen and replenishing Qi, resolving phlegm and stopping cough. It is suitable for patients with chronic bronchitis.
4. Corn and Pumpkin Pancakes
Corn and Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients: 200g pumpkin, 100g cornmeal. Seasonings: Salt, chopped green onions as needed, 10g vegetable oil. Method: Peel and seed the pumpkin, wash, and shred finely. Mix with cornmeal, salt, chopped green onions, and an appropriate amount of water to form a paste. Place a pot on the stove, pour in vegetable oil. When the oil is heated to about 50% hot, add the cornmeal and pumpkin paste and spread it into a pancake shape. Fry until both sides are slightly yellow and cooked through. Suitable for diabetics as a staple food.
5. Pumpkin and Barley Porridge
Ingredients: 150g barley, 200g pumpkin, 15g red dates, sugar as needed. Method: Wash the barley and soak in water for 2 hours, then drain. Peel the pumpkin and dice; remove pits from the red dates. Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot, bring to a boil, and add barley. Cook over high heat, then add red dates and reduce heat to cook until the barley splits. Add pumpkin and cook until tender, add sugar. Pumpkin is rich in nutrition, and its pectin can slow down the absorption of sugar and lipids in the intestines.
Corn pumpkin pie
Pumpkin porridge