Pumpkin has nutrients too
In some countries pumpkin is used to just carve a Halloween decoration or a do a Thanksgiving pie filling. Actually, pumpkin is a nutrient dense food, meaning, it is full of vitamins and minerals but low on calories.
There are many creative ways pumpkin can be incorporated into your diet, including desserts, soups, salads, preserves and even as a substitute for butter. Next time pumpkin season comes around, cook it up and eat it!
According to the USDA National Nutrient database, one cup of pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained and without salt contains 49 calories, 1.76 grams of protein, 0.17 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol and 12 grams of carbohydrate (including 2.7 grams of fiber and 5.1 grams of sugar).
Consuming one cup of cooked, canned pumpkin would provide the following:
- over 100% of your daily needs for vitamin A
- 20% of the daily value for vitamin C
- 10% or more for vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper and manganese
- 5% for thiamin, B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus
Of course, using fresh pumpkin and preparing it yourself will give you the most health benefits, but canned pumpkin is also a great choice provided it has only one ingredient: pumpkin.
Not a much preferred food, it must be incorporated into out diets for the abovementioned benefits. In India, a vegetable dish is also prepared and is a more preferred way of eating it.
