In addition to their traditional appearance on your front porch around Halloween, pumpkins should be part of your daily fare this time of year. Loaded with scads of health-boosting nutrients, pumpkins are fall’s “superfood,” whether fresh or canned!

• As a member of the melon family, a pumpkin’s orange flesh is chock full of carotenes that help protect skin, lungs and other cells from the damaging effects of everyday exposure to air pollutants and aging. A staggering 350% or more of your vitamin A needs as carotenes are in ½ cup of mashed pumpkin.
• A serving of mashed pumpkin also provides about 10% of iron and manganese needs, two minerals that work inside body cells to support energy metabolism and cell protection.
• With about 15% of your fiber needs, pumpkin makes a great addition for digestive tract health.
• Pumpkin also supplies a hefty dose of potassium, a mineral crucial for healthy circulation and blood pressure.
• To top it off, pumpkin is only 40 calories per ½ cup. 

Use pumpkin fresh—cooked and mashed—or straight out of the can as you would any other winter squash for a great side dish served with fresh fall herbs like sage and fennel sprigs. You can also add pumpkin to your next fruit smoothie for a big nutritional kick. Or make the ultimate comfort food, “pumptatoes,” by adding a few spoonfuls of mashed pumpkin to your steamy, hot mashed potatoes. And of course, you can always indulge in pumpkin pie—each slice supplies a hefty dose of vitamin A!