Canned pumpkin is most often purchased from September through December to fill holiday pies and other baked goods. Other vegetables become mushy and lose some of their nutritional value during the canning process, but canned pumpkin retains its texture, taste, fiber, potassium, vitamin A and iron, says Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky. The ingredients in canned pumpkin vary according to brand and product name.
Pumpkin
Cans labeled 100 percent pumpkin contain pure pumpkin and no other additives. Certain companies use specific varieties of pumpkin that they maintain offer the best taste, texture and color. Libby's, the company responsible for 87 percent of the canned pumpkin in the U.S. market uses Dickinson pumpkins. Zeratsky recommends using 100 percent pumpkin to keep calories under control.
Salt
Products labeled canned pumpkin may contain also contain salt. One cup of pumpkin canned with salt contains 590mg of sodium. The Institute of Medicine recommends you limit sodium to 1,500mg per day.
Spices
Canned pumpkin labeled as pumpkin pie filling or mix contain added spices. These are usually the traditional spices used in pumpkin pie recipes, such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
Sugar
Pumpkin labeled as pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar -- as much as 13g, or 3.25 tsp., per ½-cup serving. In organic versions of canned pumpkin pie mix, organic cane juice is sometimes included as the sweetener. Control the amount of sugar in your homemade pumpkin pie by using 100 percent canned pumpkin instead of the pre-made mixes.
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