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Pumpkin
With Halloween almost upon us, it seemed appropriate to delve into the nutritional value of the vegetable of the month: pumpkins.
Many of us carve our pumpkins, remove the seeds, clean, cook, salt and eat those seeds, while leaving the pumpkin meat unused except for Jack-O-lantern-making. When Halloween is over and the pumpkin starts decaying, out it goes -- either into the trash or the compost heap.
Well, Jack-O-Lanterns are cool and really neat, but pumpkins are truly nutritious vegetables. After Halloween, when pumpkins go on sale, why not try nabbing a couple medium-sized ones and making a scrumptious pie? Pumpkins, after all, are really nutritious in their own right.
The University of Illinois Extension Center has a listing of what a cup of pumpkin contains:
Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)
Calories 49
Protein 2 grams
Carbohydrate 12 grams
Dietary Fiber 3 grams
Calcium 37 mg
Iron 1.4 mg
Magnesium 22 mg
Potassium 564 mg Zinc 1 mg
Selenium .50 mg
Vitamin C 12 mg
Niacin 1 mg
Folate 21 mcg
Vitamin A 2650 IU
Vitamin E 3 mg
The orange of the pumpkin indicates a high concentration of beta-carotene, which is what converts to Vitamin A. There is current research which indicates beta-carotene is important in reducing the risk of cancer and protecting against heart disease. So, let's assume that you have a pumpkin, have taken out the seeds and carved out the meat from the external hard outside skin. Now you toss it into a pot of boiling water and cook it for 20 minutes, drain the meat and let it cool. Mash the meat or puree it and use the recipe below to make your family a delicious pumpkin pie!
Or, if you have to, nab a can of pre-cooked pumpkin from the store. I know, it is much easier to do and less messy (although it's fun to do once, with kids in tow!). Pumpkin Pie
One 9-inch unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon grown cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, add filling ingredients in order given. Mix well with electric mixer or by hand.
Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly and serve warm or chilled.
Makes one 9-inch pie.
Many of us carve our pumpkins, remove the seeds, clean, cook, salt and eat those seeds, while leaving the pumpkin meat unused except for Jack-O-lantern-making. When Halloween is over and the pumpkin starts decaying, out it goes -- either into the trash or the compost heap.
Well, Jack-O-Lanterns are cool and really neat, but pumpkins are truly nutritious vegetables. After Halloween, when pumpkins go on sale, why not try nabbing a couple medium-sized ones and making a scrumptious pie? Pumpkins, after all, are really nutritious in their own right.
The University of Illinois Extension Center has a listing of what a cup of pumpkin contains:
Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)
Calories 49
Protein 2 grams
Carbohydrate 12 grams
Dietary Fiber 3 grams
Calcium 37 mg
Iron 1.4 mg
Magnesium 22 mg
Potassium 564 mg Zinc 1 mg
Selenium .50 mg
Vitamin C 12 mg
Niacin 1 mg
Folate 21 mcg
Vitamin A 2650 IU
Vitamin E 3 mg
The orange of the pumpkin indicates a high concentration of beta-carotene, which is what converts to Vitamin A. There is current research which indicates beta-carotene is important in reducing the risk of cancer and protecting against heart disease. So, let's assume that you have a pumpkin, have taken out the seeds and carved out the meat from the external hard outside skin. Now you toss it into a pot of boiling water and cook it for 20 minutes, drain the meat and let it cool. Mash the meat or puree it and use the recipe below to make your family a delicious pumpkin pie!
Or, if you have to, nab a can of pre-cooked pumpkin from the store. I know, it is much easier to do and less messy (although it's fun to do once, with kids in tow!). Pumpkin Pie
One 9-inch unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon grown cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, add filling ingredients in order given. Mix well with electric mixer or by hand.
Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly and serve warm or chilled.
Makes one 9-inch pie.
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1. Vegetarian recipes
2. Smoothie recipes
How? It's easy!
Privacy policy:
Your email address is safe;
we NEVER share our list.
