Gourd envy? A pumpkin pile.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Belvedere, Jr.
Gourd envy can hit hard at this time of year. Not familiar with the term? Growing up in New England, it is a relatively common phenomenon. In fact, just days ago, I learned that not only did one of my mature and responsible registered dietitian (RD) friends have gourd envy, she had also perpetrated a fraud upon some of her neighbors in order to swipe an enormous, majestic pumpkin from their yard and keep it for herself. Of course, in her frenzied state, she didn’t realize such a hefty pumpkin theft would be noticed right away in such a small, familiar group of neighbors, cause a blind panic, and require her to incorporate the stealth of a serial killer dumping a body in the woods to keep her guilt (and large prize) contained.
I can relate. I see a plump pumpkin or grinning jack-o-lantern and I’m five years old again, ready to hit the town in Halloween attire and trick-or-treat for a bursting sack of candy. Now, as an RD, it’s not the candy, but the fondness for pumpkins that persists.
Along with gourds and squashes, pumpkins are members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae. Considered winter squashes, pumpkins are larger and slower growing than summer squashes. Winter squash is hard, with a thick, tough skin or rind that needs peeling away from flesh. Pumpkin rinds tend to be smooth with light vertical ribbing.
Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to more than 1,000 pounds. (Currently, the world record is held by a 1,810-lb. Atlantic Giant pumpkin.) As with size, pumpkins also vary considerably in shape (from spherical to oblong) and color (hues of orange, yellow, green, red, white, and grey).
Native to North America, pumpkin remains dating back approximately 6,000 years ago have been found in Mexico. Today, Antarctica is the only continent that cannot produce pumpkins.
Pumpkin festivals are abundant across the United States, including some notable Southern locations like Pumpkintown in Athens, Tennessee; Stone Mountain in Atlanta, Georgia; and annual pumpkin celebrations in Katy, Texas; Central Alabama; Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Milton, West Virginia. Refer to all things pumpkin in Louisiana here.
As for cooking, the pumpkin is a versatile food: its fleshy shell, leaves, seeds, and flowers are all edible. Small pumpkins are sweeter, with less fibrous flesh than larger pumpkins; jack-o-lantern-sized pumpkins are often considered too wet, fibrous, and bland for eating. Beyond that, an internal flame from a Halloween pumpkin may result in an unpleasant burned flavor when cooked.
Ripe pumpkin flesh can be steamed, boiled, pureed, mashed, sautéed, fried, microwaved, baked, roasted, braised, broiled, griddled, stuffed, and baked/roasted. A pumpkin can be cut into chunks, slices, wedges, sectioned, or cooked whole.
Pumpkins are not just about decoration. The pumpkin is a versatile nutritional superstar, full of beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals. As with sweet potatoes, natural foods with dark orange flesh are rich in pigments producing such color, as well as the cancer-fighter and antioxidant beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A).
One cup of cooked pumpkin (boiled, mashed, and without salt) contains 49 calories, 3 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, 2 mg sodium, and has no saturated fat or cholesterol. In addition to providing beta-carotene, pumpkin is rich in vitamins C, E, and B-complex, as well as the minerals potassium, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Translation? Pumpkin is a nutrient powerhouse: a low-calorie, low-fat source of dietary fiber, which can benefit heart health, aid in digestion, boost mood, enhance immunity, and promote weight loss.
Because pumpkin is packed with beta-carotene, a fat-soluble carotenoid, pairing it with a healthy fat (like olive oil) will boost absorption. That may sound like dry science, but this pumpkin cornbread demonstrates the concept deliciously.
For my full magazine article on pumpkins, click here.
For a full archive of my Nutrition articles for OKRA Magazine, click here.
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