• By Francesca Rilotelli
• Published 01/16/2013

If you’re like most people in this UK, you’re starting to think about certain foods that don’t cross your mind until, well, right about now. The one thing that us Brits have, maybe, once a year at a push other than Christmas, is the humble Brussel sprout. The sprout often gets a bad rap because they often smell a bit weird at first, but if they’re cooked right and served with a little bit of butter they can be absolutely delicious.

In America, around Thanksgiving time, US residents’ thoughts turn to everything pumpkin: pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and pumpkin on its own! These seasonal foods are often reserved for special dinners, but that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving dinner staple, but do you ever prepare it outside of this holiday?

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without pumpkin pie, but have you ever considered adding a pumpkin soup or salad to your weeknight meals?

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner is packed with nutritional rock stars, so why not have these foods more often? Studies show that there’s good reason to do just that. Here is a closer look at some potential health benefits

People with high blood levels of alpha-carotene may have a reduced risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to a 2010 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Guess what food is rich in alpha-carotene? If you said pumpkin, you’d be right! Pumpkin is also rich beta-carotene, vitamin A and fiber.

Beyond Thanksgiving you should consider making pumpkin soup, or sautéing pumpkin cubes and adding them to salads and stir fries for a delicious midweek treat. Not only is it a treat for the whole family, but you’ll be safe in the knowledge that your loved ones are getting all the nutrition they need.

About the Author : Francesca Rilotelli is writing about Pumpkin soup