Pumpkin and squash

Pumpkin and squash were an important part of the diet of many Native American tribes, who introduced them to the early European settlers. In North America, squash and pumpkin (especially in the form of pumpkin pie) are still served as part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. These vegetables are not only delicious but are also filling, inexpensive, high-energy foods. As you might expect from their wonderful deep orange hue, pumpkins and squashes are full of beta-carotene, the vitamin A precursor that helps protect us against cancer, heart troubles, and respiratory disease. In population studies, people eating plenty of pumpkins, or other orange-yellow members of the squash family, run a lower risk of developing lung cancer.