Autumn presents a scary time for Pumpkins as they suffer the annual Halloween carving cull resulting in massive food waste. With a staggering 22.2 million going to waste annually in the UK. I thought it an appropriate time to share some of the nutritional benefits of this delicious vegetable but also help offer some delicious recipes help you reduce the needless food waste this plant suffers over the coming weeks, especially around Halloween. Its seeds, peels, and flesh are excellent sources of nutrients like carbohydrates, fibre, amino acids, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with a high content of antioxidant compounds such as Vitamin E and Carotenoids. It’s those bioactive phytochemicals present in pumpkins which contribute significantly to their notable health benefits.

September must be one of the most abundant months in the UK for fruit and vegetables, with local hedgerows bursting with Blackberries. If this fruit came from a sun-drenched amazonian rain forest it would be uber marketed as the next big superfood! I suppose it suffers due to its wildly abundant growth throughout the British Isles, so encourage you to get outside to pluck the last remaining berries, also benefitting from the outdoor physical activity. This fantastic fruit is a powerhouse of essential nutrients of vitamins and minerals but it’s the phenolic compounds that make it stand out head and shoulders amongst other popular fruits.