VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – We are just a few days away from Halloween and pumpkins are everywhere.

But pumpkins aren’t just good to be hollowed out, carved, and put on the front step; they are also very good eating!

“Pumpkins are actually squashes, so you can use them in really similar ways,” explains Mijune Pak from Follow Me Foodie. “It’s really low in calories, high in fibre, and full of nutritional benefits.”

Pumpkin puree can be substituted into a lot of recipes, but make sure you don’t get it confused with pumpkin pie filling, which is full of added sugar.

Making your own pumpkin puree is very easy to do. Mijune likes to add the puree to some cream cheese and spreading it on cinnamon raisin bagels.

When you’re carving your jack-o-lantern for Wednesday night, don’t just toss out those pumpkin seeds.

“There are so many things you can do with them,” says Pak. “They actually have 92 per cent of the daily value of magnesium your body needs.”

Keep in mind, pumpkin seeds are high in calories so don’t eat bags of them!

Mijune recommends brining them first and then roasting them or substituting them into a pesto instead of pine nuts.