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I've read many times on here that pumpkin isn't low-carb. With 5g of carbs for every 100g of pumpkin, I find that hard to believe. So, am I thinking wrong?

Nutrition data for pumpkin : data.

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 I am also confused about where pumpkin falls in the carb spectrum. Is it low carb? Yes, no? – Cacktus Wayfinder Nov 6 2011 at 18:41
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 Why is it important what people call it? Low-carb is an arbitrary label. Pumpkin isn't low-carb or high-carb or moderate-carb. It is pumpkin. If you count your macros and 5% carbohydrate by volume helps you get where you want to go, eat that pumpkin. – tonysolo Nov 6 2011 at 18:54
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 You can't really compare the two by weight. That's not a fair comparison at all. No one is going to only eat 100g pumpkin. That is like one bite! 100g of broccoli is a bowl full. Bottom line pumpkin is a squash and no squash is classified as low carb period. Doesn't mean you can't eat it on a low carb diet. Plenty low carbers do especially this time of year. – Shari Bambino Nov 6 2011 at 20:47
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 Fun fact: most canned pumpkin is really hubbard squash – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Nov 7 2011 at 1:02
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 @shari 200 grams of pumpkin is a cupful. That's a lot of pumpkin for me, and at 10g of carbs it's neither high carb or high calorie. But it's filling. – thhq Nov 7 2011 at 3:45
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8 Answers

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People say pumpkin is not low carb because they are fooling themselves.

Pumpkin is only bad if you chow down 100 lbs in one sitting. I don't think you'll be doing that anytime soon, right?

Enjoy pumpkin. It's one of the best plant foods in the world. Add it to a smoothie with coconut milk, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice along with frozen banana or berries. Yum!

Or, roast it and enjoy it with some butter.

DON'T NOT EAT PUMPKIN IF YOU LIKE IT!

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I would have to say it is because most squash in general is more carbohydrate dense than say broccoli or other types of veggies.

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Well yeah, squash might be high-carb, but pumpkins is lower carb than broccoli... – Korion Nov 6 2011 at 19:46
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Pumpkin is the lowest carb squash, which is why it doesn't taste as yummy as other squash, imho. Some people find any squash, even the humble little pumpkin to be too carb rich, but unless you're going for vlc or zc, pumpkin should be just fine for you.

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I think it's because they are mostly cellulose.

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LOL. We are not a cow. Maybe someone is nostalgic for those prepaleo days before we lost our ability to eat trees. – thhq Nov 7 2011 at 4:02
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Hmmm I think it depends on the portion size and what you eat it with. I follow a moderate carb diet based on the book The Insulin Resistance Diet (but with more fat), which states that each meal can consist with a maximum of 30 grams of carbs, and HAS to be balanced by a minimum of 14 grams of protein.

A cup of pumpkin is only 12 grams of carbs. Just be careful with other possible sources of carbs that might be added depending on how you cook it.

In my opinion you get more bang for your buck with pumpkin bc the grams of carb in a cup of pumpkin is much lower than that in a cup of rice.

So I say enjoy it. Btw I also want to recommend the site calorieking.com for nutrition info. I like them :D

Sorry for any typos, wrote this via my android

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Thanks! Looking at calorieking right now :). Because of a freaky vegan diet last year I know all the nutritional data for most vegetables by heart :D. – Korion Nov 6 2011 at 19:44
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Probably because a lot of LCers keep daily carbs in a vey low range like 10-20 grams. So for those people if they were to have a few big scoops of pumpkin they'd be maxing out.

I'm not advocating LC, overall calories matter more in my view, but I'd say that's why LC folk don't go in for the mighty pumpkin. I love the stuff.

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Yeah, I love my pumpkin fries :D. They're such a good replacement for regular fries. I also try to eat more and more seasonal/local, and pumpkin is great for that ATM. – Korion Nov 6 2011 at 19:41
Hmmm in my opinion I think calories are important, but carbs are the primary thing to watch bc carbs can trigger an over consumption of calories – Nourished Girl Nov 7 2011 at 2:33
I tend to agree with ben. VLC might be a good way to drop some pounds if one needs to, but for folks who don't need to lose weight and are generally active, carbs are just fine. I personally eat a ton of pumpkin and like it when the fall comes around and more is available. – Tom R. Nov 7 2011 at 3:01
Pumpkin fills me up @nourishedgirl. It doesn't trigger full out binging the way a processed carb snack food does. – thhq Nov 7 2011 at 4:06
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Pumpkin is fine for diets with a straight carb count, but not on the ultra low carb plans like Bernstein and Rosedale. Canned pumpkin also has a very high glycemic index. I have not found pumpkin to be a problem as these docs indicate. Then again, I would never eat the canned stuff, and my own home-cooked version is probably underdone by comparison.

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I'm wondering why canned pumpkin would have a higher glycemic index than non-canned. I buy organic canned pumpkin—that's why I'm now concerned. – Toni Nov 7 2011 at 5:42
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 Bernstein mentions eating 1/4 cup canned pumpkin mixed with spices and sugar-free sweetener and then warmed up. I think the small portion is probably key to avoiding blood sugar spike. – Alexandra Nov 7 2011 at 16:45
@toni, canned food is mostly overcooked. It doesn't get overcooked if it is chunked and steamed. – The Loon Nov 7 2011 at 20:05
@ Loon. Thanks so much. This must be true of canned sweet potato puree and canned butternut squash puree, two other favorites of mine. I guess I need to eat them in moderation. – Toni Nov 8 2011 at 3:16
Toni, its easier to moderate if you eat fresh real squash you cook yourself. So easy this time of year, since it is all on sale. I eat a bit of it every day, just not a cup at a time. It's kind of my go-to thickener/sweetener in any dish that used to have tomatoes. – The Loon Nov 9 2011 at 4:12
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I googled pumpkin carbs because I made a batch of pumpkin soup with celery, carrot and onion and it sent my blood sugar up to 9.5. I'm diabetic and I was wondering why VEGETABLE SOUP would do this? I thought vegetable soup would be a safe option. Maybe I need to add protein like lentils or split peas to balance out the carbs.

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Cooked pumpkin, onion, or carrots all have a moderate amount of sugar right off the bat. Pumpkin and carrots have a lot of starch as well, which will raise blood sugar, too (as it breaks down to sugar over time). Adding lentils or peas isn't really a paleo option, but if you add those, you're going to raise the carbohydrate and sugar levels as much as the protein levels. – greymouser 2 days ago

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