- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
I've heard that canned pumpkin is healthier than fresh pumpkin. Is that true?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Not necessarily. Fresh foods generally have a higher nutrient content than do cooked or canned foods. But in this case, both fresh pumpkin and canned pumpkin are packed with nutrients such as potassium, vitamin A and iron.
Whole pumpkins can be stored at room temperature for up to a month, or you can refrigerate them as long as three months. If you use fresh pumpkin for bread, soup, pie or other recipes, don't throw away the seeds. You can bake them for a wholesome, crispy snack.
If you're looking for convenience, canned pumpkin without salt is a healthy alternative. Just check the Nutrition Facts label on canned pumpkin products so that you know what you're getting. Canned pumpkin products may be labeled as "pumpkin," "100% pumpkin" or "pumpkin pie mix." Canned pumpkin pie mix — which some recipes call for — can be much higher in calories than regular canned pumpkin.
Next questionLentils: How do I cook with them?
- Pumpkin. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2008. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed Sept. 21, 2009.
- Pumpkin, canned. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2008. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed Sept. 21, 2009.
- Pumpkins: Good for more than just carving. American Dietetic Association. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_18598_ENU_HTML.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Sept. 29, 2009.
