Canned pumpkin can be as healthy as fresh pumpkin, says Merz. Canning pulls out the water content and creates a denser product per serving, so you usually get double the fiber and more iron from canned pumpkin than from the same amount fresh, says Arluk.
“When buying canned pumpkin puree, look for ‘100 percent pure pumpkin’ on the label or check that ‘pumpkin’ is the only ingredient on the ingredient list,” says Merz.
Just make sure you choose unsweetened canned pumpkin. “Avoid pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin pie mix, which often contain added sugars and syrups that increase calories without adding nutritional value,” says Tallman.
“If you opt to use fresh — rather than canned — pumpkin in your food preparation, choose baking pumpkins, also called sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins, instead of large carving pumpkins,” says Tallman. Baking pumpkins have more sugar and less moisture, which makes them a better option for purees, pies, soups, and breads than carving pumpkins.
