Pumpkins get a lot of attention this time of year, but not always for their nutritional content. Perhaps they should. One cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin has more than 200 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, which plays an important role in eyesight and may interrupt the beginning of some types of cancers. It also contains healthy doses of vitamin C and potassium.

Watch out: There are many different varieties of pumpkins, and those bred to be carved at Halloween are often too stringy or bland to be eaten. Instead, choose smaller pumpkins — about three to five pounds — that are bred to be eaten.

How to eat: To make mashed pumpkin, or to soften the pumpkin to use it in a recipe, you can steam, bake or boil the pumpkin. Most recipes suggest slicing the pumpkin and scooping the seeds out prior to cooking.

— Betsy Q. Cliff, The Bulletin