The seeds of pumpkin and other winter squashes (like butternut squash) are edible. They are enclosed in thin teardrop-shaped shells that can be easily cracked open to release the seeds. The seeds are flat, oval shaped and light green in colour. Some varieties of squash have seeds without shells and specifically grown for seed.
Below is a photo of pumpkin seeds with shells on the left and without shells on the right (light green seeds)
![Pumpkin Seed with Shell BradBeattie at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://myfavouritepastime.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/pumpkin_seeds_in_hand.jpg?w=361&resize=361%2C361&h=361#038;h=361&crop=1 "Pumpkin_seeds_in_hand")
Pumpkin seeds have a high protein content, second only to peanuts (groundnuts). They are lower in fat compared to most nuts and seeds, and are an excellent source of iron.
100g dry roasted and unsalted seeds has the following: Calories: 610; Fat 47g of which about 9g is saturated; Cholesterol 0g; Sodium: 25mg; Carbohydrates 12g (Fibre 6g, Sugar 1g); 100g also provides100% RDA of iron. So pumpkin seeds are very high in iron. (Bulk Barn). They are also rich in B-vitamins, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus (WIKI)
Pumpkin seeds are sold shelled or unshelled, roasted or raw, salted or unsalted and are used for snack or for cooking and garnishing.
When cooking various winter squashes or carving Jack-O’-lantern you can rinse and dry the seeds and roast them in the oven.
Culinary Use of Pumpkin Seed
They are popularly used in Mexican cuisine to garnish foods like salads and as a snack. They are roasted and salted or unsalted.
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