Organic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkins have tons of tasty seeds, but most of the time, they just get thrown away. 

Need more convincing that it's worth the effort to save the seeds? Don't forget that 

That's so wasteful. Sniff, sniff. But let's not get down on ourselves. Sometimes we just forget that what's waste can actually be a hidden treasure, so for all our zero-waste lovers we wanted to remind you of the obvious. Pumpkin seeds are an awesome zero-waste snack. After all, they're packed in a 100% biodegradable packaging - the pumpkin itself. Plus they are delicious and nutritious!

Pumpkin seeds are packed with healthy omega 3 and 6s, contain lots of fiber and serve up wonderfully as a low-carb replacement for popcorn or chips for movie nights! So next time you cozy up to binge watch your favorite shows at least you can ditch the guilt when it comes to your snacking habits because there's nothing to feel bad about when it comes to snacking on seeds.

So pack up an ECOdipper (sold individually or at a discount in packs) or one of your favorite ECOlunchbox snack containers with these yummies for snacking at home or send them with your kid to school for lunch (we used them in our Halloween lunch). Plus, they're great sprinkled on salads or over stews. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• Freshly scooped organic pumpkin seeds
• Olive oil
• Healthy salt free of microplastics*

Directions:

1. Scoop the pumpkin pulp out of a fresh, organic pumpkin.
2. To separate the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin, put everything in a bowl of water. The free pumpkin seeds will float to the top. Use your hands to free the ones embedded in the scooped out pumpkin.
3. Rinse and thoroughly dry the pumpkin seeds.
4. Coat the pumpkin seeds with a generous amount of olive oil.
5. Toss the pumpkin seeds with a generous amount of sea salt.
6. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 300° for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*A recent study shows that microplastics — tiny plastic pieces smaller than a grain of rice — are found in 90 percent of commercial sea salt brands. The study "Global Pattern of Microplastics (MPs) in Commercial Food-Grade Salts" was conducted by researchers in South Korea and Greenpeace East Asia. So even though salt is good for the body, we need to be mindful to choose our salts wisely. Sea salt is an option to consider, but Himalayan salts and other non-marine salts are another option to research when it comes to minimizing exposure to microplastics.