Many people use canned pumpkin at Thanksgiving for pies and never use it the rest of the year. This is unfortunate, as it is an excellent source of fiber, minerals and vitamin A. If you would like to increase your intake of this healthy food, try using it in pasta sauces and soups for a new and unique flavor.
Calories and Carbohydrates
One cup of canned pumpkin contains 83 calories, most of which come from carbohydrates. One cup contains 19.8 g of carbohydrates, which provide 86 percent of the calories. Of this 19.8 g of carbohydrates, 8.1 g are sugar, all of which comes from the natural sugar present in pumpkin, as canned pumpkin does not contain any added sugar. An additional 7.1 g of the carbohydrates are fiber.
Protein and Fat
One cup of canned pumpkin contains 2.7 g of protein, which provides 13 percent of the calories. Pumpkin is not particularly high in protein, as one serving provides less than 6 percent of the recommended daily amount for most adults. Canned pumpkin is also low in fat, with the .7 g in each cup, providing only 1percent of the calories.
Iron
Canned pumpkin is a significant source of iron, with 3.4 mg per cup, which provides 43 percent of the recommended amount for men and 19 percent for women. While pumpkin is high in iron, it is non-heme iron, which is iron from non-animal sources. Non-heme iron is not as easily absorbed as iron from animal sources, so it is important that you eat it with foods that increase absorption, such as those high in vitamin C. If low iron is an issue for you, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends avoiding coffee, whole grains, legumes and dairy at meals high in iron, as these foods inhibit the absorption of iron.
Other Minerals
Canned pumpkin is also high in potassium, copper and manganese. One cup supplies more than 15 percent of the recommended amount of manganese, 29 percent of copper and 25 percent of potassium. If you use unsalted canned pumpkin, it is low in sodium, with only 12 mg per cup. However, salted canned pumpkin is much higher, with 590 mg, which is 27 percent of the maximum recommended amount per day.
Vitamins
Canned pumpkin, like many orange foods, is very high in vitamin A, which is important for healthy eyes and immune function. One cup provides more than 100 percent of the recommended amount for both men and women. One cup of pumpkin also supplies more than 35 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin K, 17 percent of vitamin D and 20 percent of pantothenic acid, which is one of the water-soluble B vitamins.
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