Pumpkins add a ghoulish touch to many front lawns on Halloween – and a nutritional boost to many of fall’s favorite foods. Like many other brightly colored foods, including carrots and butternut squash, pumpkins contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in your body.

Beta-carotene and vitamin A can reduce your risk of cancer, protect against cataracts and vision loss, and help ease symptoms of depression, asthma, arthritis and even sunburn.

Low in fat and calories and very high in potassium, this superfood also contains niacin, calcium, iron and vitamins C and E.

Be careful, however, when choosing comfort foods such as pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread which can be loaded with added sugar and fat. Instead, try these healthy pumpkin treats:

Roasted pumpkin seeds: Drizzle with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper and roast at 325? for about 25 minutes.

Pumpkin soup: Add a hint of curry powder and a swirl of nonfat yogurt for extra flavor.

Pumpkin pancakes: Use pure, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) when making the batter.

Crustless pumpkin pie: Bake the pie without the crust to get the same delicious filling without most of the fat.