From jack-o’-lanterns to pumpkin pies and pumpkin spice lattes, there is no question that pumpkins are a fall favorite. But you might not realize that pumpkins and other squashes are also a fruit loaded with nutrients that have a number of benefits for your health.

Taylor Stein, RD

In this Q&A, Taylor Stein, MS, RD, CDN, Associate Researcher and Registered Dietitian at The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explains why you should be eating pumpkin and suggests some easy ways to incorporate it into your diet.

What are the health benefits of pumpkin?

Pumpkins are a squash that are high in beta-carotene, which gives them their bright orange color. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin essential to immune system health, vision, reproductive health, growth and development for children, and healthy skin function. Eating high amounts of vitamin A is associated with reduced risks for some types of cancers because it has a role in cell growth. Generally, it’s important to have adequate or even higher intakes of vitamin A. Pumpkin and other squashes are also a good source of fiber and are low in carbohydrates. Categorized as a starch, squashes are similar to sweet potatoes, but contain about one third of the amount of carbohydrates, and contain other benefits, including vitamin C and potassium. Pumpkin seeds contain high levels of magnesium and other nutrients that are good for your immune system, heart, bones, muscles, nerves, and blood sugar.

What are the benefits of canned pumpkin versus whole pumpkin?

Canned pumpkin does not come from the same pumpkins used to make jack-o’-lanterns. Carving pumpkins are bred for their appearance and are not very flavorful. Canned pumpkin is a more flavorful puree intended for cooking and baking, and is not strictly made from pumpkin. Rather, it is a blend of different types of pumpkins and squashes that are more flavorful and have a creamier texture (for example, Dickinson pumpkin and some butternut squashes, depending on the brand). While the texture and taste are different from whole pumpkin, the nutritional value remains similar. In fact, canned pumpkin is even higher in fiber than whole pumpkin because much of the water has been removed.

What are some easy ways to incorporate pumpkin into my diet?

You can easily blend canned pumpkin into soups, dips, and sauces. Since it has a creamy texture, it can be a healthy substitute for ingredients in baking recipes, such as heavy cream. However, just because you add pumpkin doesn’t make it healthy if the recipe is high in sugar and fat, so be mindful of other ingredients you are using.

Whole pumpkins and other fresh squashes can be prepared similarly to sweet potatoes and make a delicious and healthy side dish, salad add on, or breakfast hash. You can eat carving pumpkins. But “baking pumpkins” (also known as “pie pumpkins” as they can be used to make pumpkin pies) and other squashes sold at most grocery stores and famers markets in the fall have better texture and flavor.

The easiest way to prepare pumpkins is to roast them. Don’t be afraid to try different types of squash, even if they are oddly shaped or colored. The skins are the one characteristic that tends to vary, and some skins may be too tough to eat, but the taste and nutritional value of the flesh are similar.

How long do pumpkins last, and when are they unsafe to eat?

September through November is when squash are generally sold, but they can last a long time if you store them well in a cool, dark space—about 50 to 60 degrees. Do not eat pumpkins you have carved, especially if they have been sitting out, or any squash that show signs of mold or rot.

These three salads are high in nutrition and low in calories. Whether you eat them as a light lunch or a healthy side dish, they’re perfect on a warm day. Enjoy!

Pear and Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 cups arugula
2 Bosc pears, thinly sliced
1/4 cups walnuts, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cups fresh basil, finely chopped

Preparation:

Whisk shallots, vinegar, olive oil and Dijon mustard in a small bowl for dressing. Set aside. Place arugula, basil, and pears in a large bowl, add dressing and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. To serve, place one and a half cups salad on a plate and sprinkle a tablespoon of walnuts.

Entire Recipe:

168 calories per serving
Makes four servings

Fresh Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

5 large ripe tomatoes, cut in 1/3- inch thick slices
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled or sliced
1 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cups Kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Place sliced tomatoes in a large bowl. Top with onion slices. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar, add dressing to the bowl. Add the feta cheese, Kalamata olives and parsley. Toss gently and serve.

Entire Recipe:

170 calories per serving
Makes six servings

Roasted Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

8 oz roasted chicken breast, diced or shredded
1/2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cups green apple, diced
1/2 cups celery chopped
2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cups walnuts, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, Dijion mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl for dressing. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine roasted chicken, grapes, apple, and celery. Add dressing and mix together. To serve, top with walnuts.

Entire Recipe:

1 1/4 cups serving has 132 calories
Makes two servings

Low in calories and high in fiber, kale is a nutritious, and tasty, superfood. Whether you want to lose weight, eat healthier, or both, these kale salads are a great way to reach your goal. Enjoy!

Kale Caesar Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch kale
1 bunch romaine lettuce
1 lemon, juiced
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/3 cup oil (olive oil, other vegetable oil)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

Preparation

Rinse and dry the kale and lettuce. Place in a large salad bowl and set aside. To make the dressing, in a separate bowl or jar whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, and oil. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Mix again. Pour dressing over the greens. Toss gently to mix well without bruising the lettuce.

Serves six

Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 648 calories
Fat: 71.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 3.8 grams
Protein: 2.3 grams

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large bunches (1 1/2 lbs) Tuscan kale, center stem removed and leaves thinly sliced
12 ounces of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely grated or shredded
1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon of the olive oil
1 cup pecorino cheese, finely grated

Preparation

The dressing, greens, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and greens separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

For the dressing: Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. After letting the ingredients rest, slowly whisk the remaining olive oil into the lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small skillet and heat on medium-high. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel lined plate, and sprinkle almonds lightly with salt. Set aside.

Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Set aside.

To assemble: Add dressing and cheese to the kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds. Toss and serve.

10 servings
154 calories per serving

Kale and Romaine Salad With Lemon Dijon Dressing

Ingredients

Salad
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped
2 cups kale, washed, dried, and chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 lemon
Ground pepper to taste

Dressing

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 clove of garlic, finely minced

Preparation

Add Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a mixing bowl, whisk together. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the mixture becomes creamy. Add the garlic. Let the dressing sit and marinade for 30 minutes or longer before using. Place the chopped romaine and kale in a large salad bowl. Pour the salad dressing over the greens and toss. Add the grated parmesan cheese and lemon juice, and toss again. Season with pepper.

Makes 4 serving

130 calories per serving

Cold and flu season is here, and so are all the viruses that come with it. Whether you’re fighting a cold or flu, there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup to make you feel better. These delicious soup recipes are filled with disease-fighting nutrients that will give your immune system the extra strength it needs. Enjoy (and feel better)!

These recipes are from Mount Sinai’s 2022 Calm & Fit Wellness Cookbook.

Ribollita Soup

Ingredients 

1 large onion
3 medium carrots
2 celery stalks
8 garlic cloves
2 bunches Tuscan kale
1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 loaf unsliced crusty country bread
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt (to taste)
1 14-oz can cannellini beans
3/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flake

Preparation

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450 degrees.

Cut the onion in half. Peel and discard the onion skin. Finely chop and transfer onion to a medium bowl. Wash, peel, and trim the carrots. Cut carrot sections into half-inch pieces. Add to bowl with onion. Chop the celery into half-inch pieces. Add to bowl with the onion and carrots. Smash and peel the garlic cloves with the back of a knife. Add to the bowl with the onion, celery, and carrot pieces to form the mirepoix mixture. Set aside.

Strip and discard the stems from the kale. Wash the kale leaves, and tear leaves into two-inch pieces; set aside. Cut rind off the Parmesan wedge; set aside. Pour the tomatoes and the juice into a strainer that is set over a medium bowl. Squeeze tomatoes and crush them with your hands. Save the tomatoes in the strainer over the bowl with the tomato juices. Set aside.

Tear the half loaf of crusty country bread into one-and-half inch pieces. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat.

Add the mirepoix mixture to the heated oil and stir in salt to taste. Cook and stir until vegetables are softened but not browned, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes without juices and cook in the pan with the mirepoix, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are caramelized.

While the mirepoix and tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse the canned cannellini beans in the strainer over the sink (discard the liquid from the beans).

Add the strained beans, the Parmesan rind, the bowl of tomato juices, the red pepper flakes, and 4 cups of water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add kale in two batches. Stir allowing to wilt. Add a third of the torn bread to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, to warm through, about five minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Place remaining torn bread chunks on top and drizzle with olive oil.

Transfer pot to oven and bake until it is thick, bubbling, and the bread is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls, drizzle each generously with olive oil, and top with lots of grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 369 calories
Carbohydrates: 45 grams
Protein: 12 grams
Fiber: 6 grams

Red Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients 
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
Fresh dill, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 small can tomato paste or 1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup dry red lentils
2 vegetable buillons
8 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1 lemon, juiced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or a generous size soup pan over medium heat. Add the chopped carrots, onion, celery, lemon zest, dill, pepper flakes, curry powder, paprika, turmeric, and pepper and stir for five minutes. Stir in the tomato paste or sauce and stir and cook on medium heat for five minutes.

Add the lentils, vegetable bouillons, and the water; stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Add the coconut milk and stir. Cook on low heat to blend flavors until fully heated through.

Puree half of the soup in a blender; return blended portion back into the pot. Add the lemon juice and serve in bowls. Season with pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 140 calories
Protein: 8 grams
Fat: 2.4 grams

Grandma’s Mushroom Barley Soup—Vegan Style

Ingredients 
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (button, cremini, and shiitake), cleaned and chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 medium)
1 cup celery, chopped, including the leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cup low sodium vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, or boiled in water for 15 minutes, and drained
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in a single, even layer. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook other side for 5 minutes until most of the mushrooms are nicely browned. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add wine and the thyme to the pot. Raise heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add five cups of the broth (reserving 1 cup), and add the barley to the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes.

Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender. Add the reserved cup of broth and cashews to the blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Return it to the pot. Add the soy sauce and stir the soup, which will be thick. If you prefer a thinner soup, add some water. Reheat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 344.5 calories
Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Fat: 19 grams
Protein: 5.5 grams

These recipes from faculty, staff, and students across the Mount Sinai Health System celebrate the value of healthy eating and how cooking offers an opportunity to create community by bringing people together.

These hearty fall recipes make for a delicious autumn snack or Thanksgiving dish. Each recipe is easy to prepare and packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals—essential nutrients that boost the immune system, improve heart health, and reduce your risk for chronic disease. Enjoy!

These recipes are from Mount Sinai’s 2022 Calm & Fit Wellness Cookbook.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 medium butternut squash
Squash seeds
6 medium carrots
1 medium onion
4 cups water, divided
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the butternut squash in half. Scoop out the seeds, but save them. Place the squash halves face-down on a baking sheet covered in foil and oiled. Sprinkle the squash seeds on the baking sheet to roast as a garnish for the soup. Set aside.

Peel and chop the carrots into thirds. Chop the onions into a few pieces. Place the carrot and onion pieces alongside the squash on the baking sheet. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove the squash seeds, carrots and onion after about 30 minutes. Set the seeds aside separately, and set aside the carrots and onions. Continue baking the squash for another 30 minutes until the squash is soft enough to scoop from the skin.

Place the squash into a bowl and mash. Discard the shell.

Add half the butternut mash and half of the carrots and onions into a blender and blend on high. Add two cups of water and the pepper, paprika, garlic powder and cumin. Blend until smooth. Pour into a soup pot. Repeat the blending process with the remaining squash, carrots, onion and 2 cups of water. Add to the soup pot, combine blended portions. Stir and heat up before serving. Top with roasted squash seeds for crunch and flavor.

Entire Recipe:

330 calories
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fat: 8.6 g
Protein: 4.6 g

“Butternut squash to me just screams fall, so I am always trying to find the best version of this beloved soup so I can serve it during Thanksgiving. The flavors are a real crowd pleaser, and the roasted seeds make it a party.”
-Wendy, Mount Sinai Health System, Volunteer

High-Fiber Super Slaw

Ingredients

1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of celery seeds
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded”
1/2 cup red onion, shredded
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup pecans, roasted and chopped

Preparation
Place the raisins and craisins in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 10 minutes to soften. Drain the water and add the yogurt, parsley, cilantro, celery seeds, white vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Fold in the blue cheese, Brussels sprouts, onion and carrot. Cover and refrigerate for one hour to incorporate all the flavors. Stir, place in serving bowl, topped with the pecans.

Serves 10
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 102 calories
Carbohydrates: 10 g
Fat: 5 g
Protein: 1 g
Fiber: 3 g

“Brussels sprouts are a quintessential fall vegetable enhanced by the other popular autumn flavors in this recipe. This super slaw evokes memories from my childhood when 50 or more members of my family gathered at Thanksgiving. My Uncle Frank would serve each and every family member one boiled Brussels sprout and told us we had to eat it to make Thanksgiving official. We did, and some of us enjoyed it more than others. As the years passed, updated recipes with these cruciferous vegetable made it more palatable, but even when Brussels sprouts are as delicious as they are in this dish, just eating them evokes the memories from my youth, and I’m happy to share this family tradition and hope you enjoy it.”
-David, Director Food and Nutrition, Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Low Calorie Sweet ’ n’ Tangy Apples

Ingredients

1 crisp red apple, such as Fiji
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 lemon, juice

Preparation

Wash and peel the apple. Cut into slices or cubes based on your preference. Squeeze lemon and sprinkle the cinnamon to flavor the apple. Mix and enjoy.

Serves 1
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 113 calories
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Protein: .6 g
Fat: .4 g

“I’m always looking for creative healthy snacks. I like adding the lemon because it gives the apples a slight tang, and the cinnamon makes this healthy snack even more delicious. It’s my go-to snack on family movie nights with my partner and stepdaughter.”
-Carla, Mount Sinai Doctors-Astoria, Director of Practice Operations, Mount Sinai Queens

These recipes from faculty, staff, and students across the Mount Sinai Health System celebrate the value of healthy eating and how cooking offers an opportunity to create community by bringing people together.