Pumpkin
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Pumpkins are for eating...not just for carving on Halloween.
1 cup (canned) pumpkin provides approximately:
- 80 calories
- 20 grams carbohydrate
- 3 gram protein
- 1 grams total fat ( 0.1 grams saturated fat)
- 6 grams fiber!
Pumpkin is quite nutritious and easy to add to your diet by utilizing canned pumpkin. It's one of the only canned foods that has no salt or sugar added.
Note: Canned pumpkin is different than canned pumpkin pie filling. However, they're usually located next to each other on the grocery store shelf and the labels look very similar, so make sure you read the can carefully.
If you prefer to buy fresh pumpkin and cook it yourself, choose a small "sugar pumpkin" or "pie pumpkin." "Jack-0-Lantern" pumpkins are usually too stringy to eat.
Nutritional Value of Pumpkin /Winter Squash
Pumpkins are a very good source of beta carotene/vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
One cup of cooked pumpkin provides approximately:
- 145% daily value (DV) vitamin A
- 33% DV vitamin C
- 25% DV potassium
- 23% DV fiber
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Pumpkin Pie Nutrition
Eating pumpkin pie to get your pumpkin nutrition isn't the best idea.
Pumpkin pie is traditionally made by combining pumpkin with heavy cream and whole eggs. When cooked in a "standard" pie crust, a slice gets about 49% calories from fat.
Try this lowfat, non-dairy pumpkin pie or a high protein pumpkin pie shake instead.
Eat More Pumpkin / Winter Squash: Simple Serving Suggestions
- Top puréed cooked winter squash with cinnamon and 100 % pure maple syrup.
- Steam cubes of winter squash and drizzle with with sesame oil, tamari (or low sodium soy sauce), ginger and pumpkin seeds.
- Substitute spaghetti squash for pasta.
- Try Spicy Pumpkin Soup or Curried Pumpkin Soup
- Add canned pumpkin to ready-to-eat (low sodium) canned butternut squash soup.
- Stir canned pumpkin into oatmeal. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and top with walnuts.
- Snack on Pumpkin Seeds.
- Spread pumpkin seed butter on muffins, bagels, sandwiches, apples, celery, etc.
- Get this cookbook!
Great recipes in general, but you'll find many that feature canned pumpkin, including:
- Creamy banana pumpkin pie pancakes
- Frozen pumpkin crunchers
- Pumpkin cheesecake
- Mug o' pumpkin creme
Did You Know?
- Pumpkins are actually fruits
- Pumpkins are 90% water
- More fun pumpkin nutrition facts
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