Is pumpkin pie good for you?
October 4th, 2006 by Casey
With Halloween coming around I was curious if good ol pumpkin pie was actually healthy. I went to the local costco and picked up this great pie for a few bucks. It was an office hit and I started to wonder how healthy it was. I know that the orange color probably means its high in beta carotene like carrots but I wasnt sure.
Anybody Know? Ill keep poking around and will update this if i can figure it out.
**Update**
Registered dietitian Joey Sjostrom says pumpkin is a good source of fiber and vitamin A. Homemade pies are best with canned filling, because not all pumpkins are suitable for baking.
Sjostrom says most of the pumpkins we buy are jack-o-lanterns, and they’re harder to boil or to make into a pie filling. Winter squash or the sweet pumpkins, as they’re called, might be a better variety to make homemade pie filling from.
The fattening ingredients in pumpkin pie, such as eggs and butter, don’t compromise the nutritional value. But if you’re looking for a heart-healthy type of diet to follow, there are some recommendations that you can change.
Use margarine instead of butter, and use egg whites instead of egg yolks. You will still be getting the same benefits whether it’s a regular pumpkin pie filling or the low-fat version.
Because we can buy the pumpkin filling any time of year out of the grocery, it doesn’t have to be this time of season to get the benefits from the pumpkins. You can do it all year long.
Pumpkin pie normally contains eggs and dairy products, so it’s important to keep the pies refrigerated.
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I was wondering the same thing myself. I really would like to know for sure. I’m sure it depends on how the pie is made. Perhaps if it is a no sugar variety, its healthier than if there is added sugar. But that still doesn’t answer the question engouh for me.
HAHAHAHAHA - that is sooo funny b/c as I was looking up if pumpkin pie is fattening, I came across this forum…believe it or not, I am eating the one from Costco!
I’ve eaten a slice for breakfast every day, and a glass of milk. It’s so good. So having it be good for you makes it that much better. Also warm it in the microwave a couple of seconds before you eat it, it’s amazing.
the ones at costco have trans fat in the crust (partially hydrogentated oil), so if your woried about heart disease or diabetes, i’d look for another pie or just eat the filling. home way to go, but get a pie crust that is trans free there hard to find though
Thanks for the info Ashley. Sometimes I just eat the filling, I had no idea that the crust was bad for you. Now I have a reason to gut the pie and leave the lonely crust alone!
I came across this forum while search for a heart healthy recipe. I am always in charge of the pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. I use brown sugar pumpkins that I roast in the oven - boiling pumpkins adds too much water to the pumkin. Plys, roasted pumpkin is easy to scoop of the rinds…less work!
I haven’t started on the crust yet, but I have learned that mom (who had a heart attack this summer) can eat Parkay - so I will use that for the butter and egg substitute and skim evaporated milk. Not sure what to replace the molases with - it gives it the “store bought” color my sister needs in a pie! I am sure I can use frozen parkay for the crust and maybe whole wheat flour - I will test on the family first.
Fat free cool whip to top it all off!