Pumpkin Dinner Recipes: Healthy Pumpkin Meals

Looking for something new to cook your family this fall? Check out our healthy pumpkin dinner recipes, a healthy seasonal favorite!

As summer changes into fall, don’t despair! Celebrate the new season with some delicious pumpkin dinner recipes. An easy, in-season, and nutrient-rich fruit, using pumpkin as inspiration for your dinner meal (not just the pie!) will impress your family and friends.

Pumpkin Dinner Recipes

On a cold day, nothing sounds better for dinner than a hot soup. There are many types of pumpkin soup recipes, from pumpkin chowders to squash bisques. Lots of foods go with pumpkin—figure out what your family likes and make your own! There are recipes for pumpkin soups with scallops, potatoes, chicken, mushrooms, and even mussels.
Pumpkin is also a popular way to spice up your favorite pasta dishes. Using pumpkin puree and pasta dough, you can easily make your own pumpkin ravioli. If that sounds like too much work, homemade pumpkin pasta sauce also makes a delectable pumpkin dinner. Another popular family favorite is pumpkin lasagna with plenty of herbs and ricotta cheese. Ginger, cinnamon, mustard, and nutmeg are the perfect fall spices to top any of your pumpkin dishes off.
Other great pumpkin dinner recipes include curried pumpkin stew, pumpkin waffles (breakfast for dinner, anyone?), pumpkin risotto, and sides such as pumpkin biscuits, pumpkin cornbread, and mixed roasted squash.
But, the most fun pumpkin dinner recipe? Dinner in a pumpkin. Nothing says “autumn” like a hearty beef stew served in a pumpkin with its lid cut off (and baked inside the pumpkin). When you eat it, be sure to get some pumpkin in every bite!

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Why is pumpkin such a good choice for dinner?
Pumpkin is a squash that is grown all over the world, but is native to North America. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can always find the right type for your dinner. Be sure to ask your grocer to make sure you are buying a good baking variety. “Cinderella” pumpkins, Marina Di Chioggia, Kakai, and Cushaw Green and Gold pumpkin varieties are often the most recommended.
The bright orange color is a dead giveaway for the high levels of antioxidants inside. Pumpkin is one of the most nutritious fruits, having high levels of beta carotene, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and E. Studies have linked eating food rich with beta carotene to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, degenerate aspects of aging—and better skin! It is also low in fat and calories. For best quality, be sure to buy pumpkins in the fall, when they’re in season.

Seasonal Pumpkin Snack

As your kids plan their jack-o-lanterns this Halloween, you can be planning a pumpkin feast with these great ideas for pumpkin dinner recipes. Don’t forget to save the seeds to roast for an afternoon snack—and to save enough to make a homemade pumpkin pie, a fall favorite that will never go out of style!

Three Tips to Make Healthy Dinner a Reality Once and for All

Moms lead busy lives, whether we work at home or a job outside the home, too. Every week is a constant flurry of work, cooking, cleaning, errands, and getting the kids everywhere they need to be. Busy is just, well, normal. So, with lives like this, how do we get real food on the table? The first step is to take a deep breath, exhale, and relax. Real food doesn’t mean making a five-course meal after a ten-hour day. Here, some tips to help you get healthy dinner on the table and stay sane.

1. Teach your family to love leftovers
Some meals, like braised meats, lasagna, or chili actually taste better the day after you make them because the flavors develop overnight. Cook extra helpings and serve them for dinner the next night or pack them in lunch boxes; you'll not only save time and reduce food waste, but also skip a trip through the drive-thru!

2. Cook once for two meals
Roast two chickens instead of one. For the first night's dinner, you have a warm, perfectly crisp bird. On the second day, you'll have cooked chicken, ready for soup, chili, and salad. Hate to eat the same thing two days in a row? Still make the extra portion and freeze them for the following week.

3. Instill weekend family time in the kitchen

I love it when the whole family spends time together in the kitchen with me, prepping Sunday night dinner. Cooking is minimal during the week: I prepare most of our meals on Saturday and Sunday. Monday through Wednesday, I alternate the leftovers to make my weeknights as easy as heat and eat. Thursday nights we have a simple meal. Our book has some fantastic ideas for from-scratch dinners you can whip together in minutes—think grilled cheese with leftover roasted vegetables, nutritious wraps, and egg dishes. Fridays are a good night to eat out or make pizza together.

What are your tips for making real food a reality in your busy life?

Head here for healthy dinner options for every night of the week.
Beth Bader is the coauthor with Ali Benjamin of The Cleaner Plate Club. She writes for Eat Local Challenge, and is currently working with local food and food policy groups to help consumers access healthy, local foods and support small family farms in her region.

Pumpkin Dinner Recipes

On a cold day, nothing sounds better for dinner than a hot soup. There are many types of pumpkin soup recipes, from pumpkin chowders to squash bisques. Lots of foods go with pumpkin—figure out what your family likes and make your own! There are recipes for pumpkin soups with scallops, potatoes, chicken, mushrooms, and even mussels.
Pumpkin is also a popular way to spice up your favorite pasta dishes. Using pumpkin puree and pasta dough, you can easily make your own pumpkin ravioli. If that sounds like too much work, homemade pumpkin pasta sauce also makes a delectable pumpkin dinner. Another popular family favorite is pumpkin lasagna with plenty of herbs and ricotta cheese. Ginger, cinnamon, mustard, and nutmeg are the perfect fall spices to top any of your pumpkin dishes off.
Other great pumpkin dinner recipes include curried pumpkin stew, pumpkin waffles (breakfast for dinner, anyone?), pumpkin risotto, and sides such as pumpkin biscuits, pumpkin cornbread, and mixed roasted squash.
But, the most fun pumpkin dinner recipe? Dinner in a pumpkin. Nothing says “autumn” like a hearty beef stew served in a pumpkin with its lid cut off (and baked inside the pumpkin). When you eat it, be sure to get some pumpkin in every bite!
Pumpkin is a squash that is grown all over the world, but is native to North America. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can always find the right type for your dinner. Be sure to ask your grocer to make sure you are buying a good baking variety. “Cinderella” pumpkins, Marina Di Chioggia, Kakai, and Cushaw Green and Gold pumpkin varieties are often the most recommended.
The bright orange color is a dead giveaway for the high levels of antioxidants inside. Pumpkin is one of the most nutritious fruits, having high levels of beta carotene, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and E. Studies have linked eating food rich with beta carotene to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, degenerate aspects of aging—and better skin! It is also low in fat and calories. For best quality, be sure to buy pumpkins in the fall, when they’re in season.