Pumpkin – a healthy fall food

Who doesn’t love some pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or any other time of year?  Fall is a great time to enjoy some fall foods and many of these foods, like pumpkin, are loaded with good nutrition.  I always tell my students to enjoy their pumpkin pie or some pumpkin pudding.

Pumpkin – a very healthy, nutritious food.  So, enjoy some pumpkin pie, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, or pumpkin muffins.  Pumpkin is loaded with beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.  The beta-carotene gives pumpkin its orange coloring. Beta-carotene is super healthy as it helps prevent cancer, protects against asthma and for older folks helps reduce the risk of getting macular degeneration.  Additionally, pumpkin adds fiber to your day and many Americans aren’t getting enough fiber.  Besides pie, there are many other ways to enjoy pumpkin: pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, or enjoy some pumpkin pancakes.  Good information on the surprising health benefits of pumpkins, can be found at, 6 Health Benefits of Pumpkin  and Health Benefits of Pumpkin.  These include:

  • Weight loss – because pumpkin provides fiber, it helps slow digestion and keeps you filling full longer.  It is also low in calories.  Yes, when you turn pumpkin into pie, pudding, etc., you do add sugar but pumpkin itself is a low-calorie food. 
  • Sharper vision – vitamin A and beta-carotene are good for your eyes.  In addition to beta carotene, pumpkin has the healthy antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.  Both help prevent cataracts and as noted above may reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
  • Immunity – lots of people are concerned about immunity right now and pumpkin can boost your immunity. How?  Because the beta-carotene turns into vitamin A which helps fight infections, fights viruses and fights off infectious diseases.  Besides beta-carotene, pumpkin has vitamin C which also helps fight infections.
  • Healthy skin – who doesn’t want younger, healthier looking skin?  Why would pumpkin promote healthy skin?  Once again, it is the beta-carotene.  I always tell my students, if they want healthy skin, eat foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A. Beta-carotene also acts like a sun screen as it helps prevent wrinkles when exposed to sunlight. 
  • Lower your cancer risk – How does beta-carotene lower your risk of some cancers?  Because pumpkin has both beta-carotene and vitamin C, these “act as shields for your cells against cancer-causing free radicals”. 
  • Diabetes – what is the good news about pumpkin and diabetes?  Some studies have found that pumpkin may be beneficial to people with diabetes as pumpkin can lower blood sugar levels. Of course, once you turn that pumpkin into pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding, then you have the added sugar.  It would be interesting to learn if pumpkin pie is better for diabetics as a treat than other pies like lemon meringue pie.
  • Lower risk of heart disease – many nutrients in pumpkin like vitamins A, C, B1, B6, folate and the minerals copper and manganese help protect your heart.  Fiber helps lower blood pressure and your cholesterol.  (See:  How to eat for a healthy heart? ) 
  • Lower blood pressure - who would think that eating pumpkin would have anything to do with blood pressure?  But pumpkin is rich in the mineral potassium.  A study in 2017 found that diets rich in potassium can help reduce blood pressure.  Even pumpkin pie or pudding would be good in this regard as both are low in sodium but rich in potassium. 

Conclusion:  Don’t skip the pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding this year.  You can actually be eating “healthy” while enjoying some dessert.  Or enjoy some pumpkin chocolate yogurt as suggested by MedicalNewsToday.  Combine some Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin, with some honey, cinnamon and cocoa powder.  For those who like shopping at Costco, you can read about Costco’s 36th year of selling their popular pumpkin pie.  For 15 healthy pumpkin recipes, go to Cookie and Kate  and try her healthy pumpkin muffin recipe.  


Sources:  Pumpkin , 6 Health Benefits of Pumpkin , Health Benefits of Pumpkin , studies , nutrients , study in 2017 , MedicalNewsToday , pumpkin pie  Image Sources:  Health benefits of pumpkins  , Healthy pumpkin recipe  , Nutrition and pumpkins, Pumpkin

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (adapted)

  •              1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVVO)*
  •          ½ cup honey (use local honey)
  •          2 eggs at room temperature
  •          1 cup pumpkin puree
  •          ¼ cup real cow’s milk
  •          2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
  •          1 teaspoon baking soda
  •          1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  •          ½ teaspoon salt
  •          1 and ¾ cups whole wheat flour
  •          1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, plus some for sprinkling on top

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray unless you are using a non-stick pan.
  2. In a large bowl, add the whole wheat flour, oatmeal, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, and salt. 
  3. In a separate large bowl, beat the EVVO and honey together with a whisk.  Add the eggs, beat well.  Add the pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract. 
  4. Add in the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined.  Fold in any additional ingredients you like such as chopped pecans, dates, etc. 
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.  Sprinkle the tops with about 1 Tablespoon of oats.
  6. Bake muffins for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
  7. Place muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool.  You may need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan,
  8. Muffins will keep at room temperature for about 2 days, in refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze some for up to 3 months.  Defrost individual muffins as needed, about 30-60 seconds in the microwave.

These muffins contain whole wheat flour and oatmeal for a healthy whole grain boost.  For extra nutrition, add some chopped pecans, dates or some raisins.    

*Note:  Instead of olive oil try corn or safflower oil.  All these oils are heart healthy.  (See:  Which cooking oils are healthy?  Which oils are not so healthy? )   


 

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