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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It is that time of year. You can smell pumpkin in the air. There are so many pumpkin items to choose from with each food company or restaurant trying to outdo the other to get you to buy their product. I’m waiting for someone to advertise a pumpkin burger. There is almost nothing left on the shelf to add pumpkin to. Let’s look at some of these seasonal foods to see if they can measure up to their advertising hype.
Pumpkin flavored bread – There is no question that pumpkin flavor added to traditional cinnamon raisin bread is a nice treat but it may offer little but flavor and few of the nutrients found in pumpkin. Is the bread whole grain? Compare the calories and sugar to that of traditional cinnamon raisin bread to see if the pumpkin variety is similar, does it have more calories or does it have more sugar? Do the ingredients list pumpkin puree or just pumpkin spice? These are totally different. Pumpkin puree adds valuable nutrients found in pumpkin. Pumpkin spice adds only flavor.
Pumpkin coffee – This is simply coffee with some added pumpkin pie spice. You can make this at home. For every 4 cups of coffee you are brewing, add 1½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to your coffee grinds. To make your own pumpkin pie spice mix together 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1½ teaspoons ground allspice and 1½ teaspoons ground cloves. Store the spice mix in a tightly covered container. To make your home brewed coffee taste more like the coffee shop $4 variety, add streamed milk or top with whipped cream sprinkled with a little extra cinnamon and sugar. Keep in mind the pumpkin flavor adds just flavor but the add-ons can add up the calories quickly.
Pumpkin doughnuts – A doughnut is a doughnut regardless of its flavor. A pumpkin doughnut might give you a tiny bit of extra vitamin A, if it were made with pumpkin puree, but you have to think of this choice as a sweet treat, not a substitute for a healthy vegetable.
Pumpkin candy – Pumpkin-laced candy is still candy and rarely is it made with actual pumpkin. Tiny pumpkin-shaped candies, traditional in the fall, are a mellowcreme confection typically made from corn syrup, honey, food grade wax and sugar. They were invented by the Wunderless Candy Company in the 1880s and haven’t changed much over the years. On average, 5 candy pumpkins have 140 calories with the equivalent of 8 teaspoons of sugar.
Pumpkin pie – Now you are getting closer to a food that is actually good for you. Try baking your pie recipe without the crust and save 150 calories per slice. Cut the sugar by at least one-third. This is a healthy dessert and can be counted as one of your vegetable servings for the day.
There are many ways to use pumpkin creatively. Add fresh pumpkin cubes to your favorite chili or stew recipe. Simply warm canned pumpkin, add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and top with a pat of butter for a dinner substitute for mashed potatoes. Use pumpkin as the base for a cream soup or toss pesto and pumpkin with pasta. Add some pumpkin to your morning oatmeal. Canned pumpkin freezes well. If you don’t use up the entire can, scoop the rest into a freezer zip-lock bag for future use.
Why should you bother to use pumpkin in your autumn meals? It’s both an inexpensive and healthy choice. A half cup of canned pumpkin has 45 calories, no fat or cholesterol, 4 grams of naturally occurring sugar (equal to 1 teaspoon), 4 grams of fiber, a trace of sodium, and more than three times your daily requirement for vitamin A. Pumpkin is rich in the phytochemcials zeaxanthin and lutein. These substances are naturally found in the retina and they are believed to protect the eye against damaging high-energy light beams and they may help slow the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Pumpkin is also one of the best sources of beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid linked with a lowered risk of lung and prostate cancer.
And, don’t forget about pumpkin seeds. They can be dried or roasted, salted or unsalted. Pumpkin seeds are lower in fat and higher in protein than most other seeds and are rich in the minerals potassium, iron and zinc. Two tablespoons, shelled, have 148 calories. Keep this snack to a handful not a canful.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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