There are countless family-friendly activities to do in the fall. Nature walks to see foliage, building your own scarecrows and heading to the local farm to pick pumpkins to carve jack-o-lanterns.

Speaking of jack-o-lanterns, don’t throw away the seeds! Rinse them off and roast them up. The best part of all is that they are low-calorie and packed with nutrients. They can also help improve various physical conditions.

A 1-ounce serving of roasted seeds contains 163-calories, 8.5 grams of protein and if unshelled, 17-to-26% of your daily fiber needs. They are also loaded with fatty acids, which helps reduce inflammation and lowers risk for heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

Roasting pumpkin seeds is easy and there are countless ways to flavor them. They can have salty, sweet or sour flavor combinations. Have fun and experiment! Simply clean them and allow them to dry overnight on a large cookie sheet. Bake them at 170 degrees Fahrenheit to help preserve the seed’s healthy fats.

Try out one, or a few of these fun flavor combinations:

* Use one cup of pumpkin seeds for each recipe.

Chili Lime

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Rosemary & Oil

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp sea salt

Sweet Cinnamon

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp Stevia

Cajun Garlic and Pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Directions: Mix all seeds and ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until seeds are covered. Spread seeds on to a large baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 170 degrees. Sprinkle more of the dry ingredients onto the seeds when done. Let them cool, and then dig in!

Serve them as a side at your next Halloween gathering. Your guests will love them!