This is the time of year when everything is red and orange. The foods that have bright colors are full of lycopenes, which is a precursor to beta-carotene and vitamin A. Pumpkins are an excellent filler food, as they are high in fiber which makes you feel fuller. Some studies have shown pumpkin helps you absorb fewer fat and calories from your other foods.
Mmmmm, I love pumpkin! One of my favorite parts of fall. 2 favorites are, of course, pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. But I love baked pumpkin and this weekend I am going to make a stuffed pumpkin. It will be my first attempt but I found 2 great recipes, one for vegetarian stuffed pumpkin stew at Epicurious.com and a roasted stuffed pumpkin at Mother Earth News. I decided to combine them because I really just wanted to stuff it, and while the roasted stuffed one looks great I loved the addition of all the roasted root vegetables that the stew had.
I will let you know how it goes!