Pumpkin – An Astonishing Source of Iron and Potassium

Pumpkins are one of the first signs of Fall. We often visit the pumpkin patch with our kids to find a great pumpkin to carve for Halloween or to get some decorative pumpkins for Thanksgiving. They come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and even colors. But our stores are not just invaded by these beautiful whole fruits, the aisles are also packed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice-flavored treats. Suddenly, we need that hint of Fall in all the things we eat or drink, from coffee to cookies, to everything in between.

Pumpkin spice, of course, does not contain pumpkin at all. But let’s focus on the plant-based star of the season: the pumpkin. First, it is a fruit, but because it belongs to the squash family, it’s not particularly sweet, and can’t be eaten raw, it is typically categorized as a vegetable. The different colors and shapes not only make for great table centerpieces, they also offer different flavors and uses in the kitchen. And while it is easy to just buy canned pumpkin puree, it’s actually not that much harder to buy a whole pumpkin, cut it in half, take out the seeds, and cook it. You can then roast the pumpkin seeds for other fantastic nutritional benefits.

We can make anything with pumpkins, from pie to pumpkin bread, to soup or even a pasta dish. And just one cup of mashed pumpkin flesh can give us about twice the amount of our daily need of vitamin A! It is also a fantastic source of vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, iron, and potassium!

So, pumpkins are fantastic for our heart, our eyes, our immunity, our metabolism, our lungs, our thyroid, our red blood cells, our brain, our hair and skin, our muscles, our bones, and our children’s early development. Wow! No wonder pumpkins are so popular.

Try our personalized nutrition calculator below to see just how much nutrition you and your family can get from eating pumpkin.