“We encourage people to add pumpkin to their diet as an excellent source of vitamin A, which also is found in carrots and other bright orange or yellow vegetables,” says Allison Morrow, a registered dietitian at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Pumpkins are a great source of fiber, potassium and iron. You can eat them year round; canned pumpkin still is high in nutrients.

Baking lets you bond with your child and has added benefits. Children can learn lessons in the kitchen from reading to math and vocabulary, and it’s fun.

“When children join parents in cooking meals and in growing or picking produce,” Morrow says, “they become a part of the process and may be more likely to eat these goodies.”

Here’s a healthy pumpkin pie recipe to try:

1/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons ice water

Put flour and shortening into a small bowl. With two knives (or a pastry blender), cut shortening into flour until thoroughly mixed. This is the time to work on the crust, not after adding water.

Add water and use a fork to toss quickly. Handle as little as possible. It can be a little crumbly when you put it onto plastic wrap. Form a ball as you wrap it tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When ready to make the crust, sprinkle a little flour on a large piece of plastic wrap. Put dough on the floured wrap. Turn once to get flour on both sides. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap.

Use a rolling pin to roll crust to fit a nine-inch pie pan. A quiche pan with a fluted edge works well.

1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1/2 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin with egg substitute, sugar and spices. Add evaporated milk and stir thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and keep baking for 30 minutes longer or until tester inserted in center of pie comes out clean. The center will get firmer as it cools.