pumpkins aren't just good for carving...

Being vegan, as many know, it takes a little more planning to make sure you're getting enough nutrients- especially iron! Spinach is a good source of iron; however, it's non-heme (harder to absorb into the blood stream than heme, which comes from eating meat). Pumpkin seeds are especially awesome in that they are rich in iron! So all you fellow exercising vegans out there- we need MORE iron than those who don't regularly exercise. According to mastermind professional Ironman Triathlete, and vegan, Mr. Brendan Brazier, in his book Thrive Foods, iron is lost through sweat, and one can become anemic (lack of circulating oxygen to cells throughout the body). I put pumpkin seeds on my salads, in pasta, pretty much anything! You can buy them raw at most grocery stores I would assume. Also, according to Livestrong, they contain 9.3g protein every 1oz...which is another nutrient vegans often lack! So, eat your pumpkin seeds!