Pumpkin, also known as pumpkin, is one of the most popular vegetables and is present in many family meals. Not only does it have a sweet taste and eye-catching color, pumpkin is also known to be a nutritious food with many health benefits. However, with the increasing interest in diet and weight loss, the question “how many calories in pumpkin?” has become the top concern of many people. Therefore, in this article, we will find out whether pumpkin is a rich source of energy or a low-calorie dish as many people think.
How many calories in pumpkin?
To answer the question “how much is pumpkin? calories?”, we need to learn about the nutritional composition of pumpkin and how to calculate the number of calories in a serving.
According to the Vietnam Nutrition Price List, 100g of fresh pumpkin contains about 30-35 calories. However, this calculation usually applies to fresh fruits and vegetables that are not processed or cooked. If pumpkin is processed into other dishes such as soup, stir-fry, porridge, etc., the amount of calories may be different.
To accurately calculate the number of calories in a serving of pumpkin, we need to know in advance the number of ingredients and how to prepare it. For example, a serving of boiled pumpkin including 100g pumpkin, 50g beef and 10g cooking oil will have about 200 calories, of which pumpkin accounts for about 15 calories, beef about 150 calories and 10g cooking oil accounts for about 35 calories.
Pumpkin
Factors affecting the amount of calories in pumpkin
Not only depends on the way of processing, the amount of calories in pumpkin also depends on many other factors such as the age of the pumpkin plant, growing method and weather conditions. Many studies have shown that the difference between types of pumpkin can be up to 30-50% in calories.
For example, old and organically grown pumpkins will contain fewer calories than young and chemically grown pumpkins. This can be explained by the difference in nutrients and freshness of pumpkin from each land and different growing method.
Health benefits when consuming pumpkin
Pumpkin is not only a rich source of energy but also provides many necessary nutrients for the body. Here are some health benefits when consuming pumpkin:
Supplements vitamins and minerals
Pumpkin contains a lot of vitamins A, C, E and many B vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9 (acid folic). Vitamin A plays an important role in protecting vision, strengthening the immune system and maintaining plant healtha da. Meanwhile, vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that has the ability to prevent agents that cause cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Pumpkin is also a source of important minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and folic acid. Potassium helps maintain water and electrolyte balance in the body, magnesium helps eliminate bad cholesterol and helps the body absorb calcium better. Phosphorus is a key component of DNA and RNA, and folic acid plays an important role in the development of cells.
Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
Pumpkin is also considered a vegetable that helps reduce the risk of disease. cardiovascular. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition Research and Practice, consuming pumpkin daily for eight weeks reduced total cholesterol and bad cholesterol in the blood of study participants. This shows that pumpkin has the ability to help maintain cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol levels.
Supports weight loss
Although not a calorie-rich vegetable, pumpkin can still support weight loss. With good water retention ability, pumpkin helps reduce hunger and keeps the body full longer. This will help you eat less and consume fewer calories in a day.
Low-calorie and nutritious pumpkin recipe
Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable and can be used in many dishes eat differently. However, to maximize the health benefits of pumpkin and minimize calories, dishes should be prepared according to the following recipes:
Pumpkin soup with minced meat
Pumpkin soup
Ingredients:
300g pumpkin
100g chicken or meat beef
1 onion
2 garlic
1 ginger
Cilantro, wormwood
Salt, pepper, cooking oil
How to prepare:
Slice the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces, chop the onion and garlic.
Put cooking oil in the pot, fry the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the meat and stir-fry.
Boil 1 liter of water, put the stir-fried meat into the pot, continue to boil.
Wait until the meat is cooked, add the pumpkin, add salt and pepper to taste.
When the pumpkin is cooked, add coriander and wormwood into the pot, cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn off the stove, decorate the top with a little pepper and serve hot.
Place in a hot pan with cooking oil, fry the pumpkin until golden brown.
After removing the pumpkin from the pan, retain a little cooking oil, add onion and garlic and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Slice the grapefruit into pieces and mix well with the onion and garlic sauce.
Decorate the fried pumpkin on the surface and serve hot.
Steamed Pumpkin
Steamed Pumpkin
Ingredients:
300g pumpkin
Scallions, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper
How to prepare:
Peel and cut the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces.
Prepare the steamer, add water, ginger, salt and sugar.
Arrange the pumpkin pieces in the pot and steam for a while. 15-20 minutes.
After the pumpkin is cooked, sprinkle green onions and pepper on top and serve hot.
Notes when using pumpkin in the diet
Pumpkin is A nutritious and healthy vegetable, not everyone can use pumpkin in their diet. For those who want to lose weight, pumpkin is also a good choice, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
Adjust your diet: Pumpkin is not a complete substitute for other starches such as rice or potatoes portion and do not eat too much.
Do not prepare pumpkin with spices that are high in calories: As mentioned above, the amount of calories in pumpkin can increase significantly when processed with spices such as cooking oil, sugar, salt, etc. Therefore, you should avoid preparing pumpkin this way to minimize calories.
Increase exercise: Using pumpkin in your diet does not mean being lazy and not exercising. To achieve the best weight loss results, you should combine eating pumpkin with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Conclusion
With the above information, it can be seen that pumpkin is not a vegetable. low in calories as many people think. However, this is still a nutritious food and has many health benefits. So, instead of worrying about the calories in pumpkin, they areOne should take advantage of its benefits and combine it with a healthy diet and lifestyle to maintain good health. If you want to lose weight, modify your diet and increase exercise instead of completely eliminating pumpkin from your diet.
