Is pumpkin pie or apple pie healthier? There's 1 major nutrition difference, dietitians say

Pumpkin pie and apple pie are a classic way to finish the Thanksgiving dinner. Both desserts feature fall fruits and spices, a flaky crust and a sweet scent that signals warmth and coziness.

Americans pick pumpkin as their No. 1 Thanksgiving pie, but 82% also love or like having apple pie at their holiday feast, a YouGov poll found.

Dietitians say it’s fine to savor either dessert food in moderation.

“Especially on holidays, enjoy it. Have a moderate slice of it, enjoy other healthy food in your day. I think it’s absolutely fine to incorporate into a healthy diet,” Patricia Bannan, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles and author of “From Burnout to Balance,” tells TODAY.com.

“Saying, ‘I’m not having any sweets’ can cause deprivation and then cause people to overdo it.”

If pumpkin or apple pie is something you love, go ahead and have some on Thanksgiving, adds Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.

“Have smaller pieces, and have both if you really want to, but just be smart about it. Take your time and sit at the table. Enjoy it,” Czerwony says.

“I never tell people they can’t have things.”

The filling of the pie matters, so dietitians like that both pumpkin and apple are fruit-based pies — delivering some of the fiber and nutrients from the fruit — rather than pies filled with sugar, eggs and cream.

So which pie is healthier? Here’s what to know about their nutritional differences:

Is pumpkin pie healthy?

Pumpkin is very high in beta carotene, which is essential for vision, growth and immune function, Bannan says.

The antioxidant, found in orange-hued foods, is converted to vitamin A in the body and has anti-inflammatory properties that protect cells from damage, the National Library of Medicine notes.

A slice of pumpkin pie contains the following, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

• 316 calories

• 14 grams of fat

• 7 grams of protein

• 41 grams of carbs

• 2 grams of fiber

Pumpkin pie usually has a single crust — a major nutrition difference compared to apple pie, which has a double crust and therefore more calories and fat.

But the calories also depend on the pumpkin pie recipe.

“Pumpkin pie can have a lot of sugar. It can have quite a bit of fat from the condensed milk. It can have a lot of fat from the topping that you put on it,” Czerwony cautions.

Bannan advises using plain canned pumpkin puree rather than canned pumpkin pie mix to control the added sugar in the filling.

A cup of canned cooked pumpkin has 137 calories, or half of the calories of canned pumpkin pie mix.

Is apple pie healthy?

Apples provide fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C, Bannan says.

“They add that natural sugar to the pie. So depending on how you’re making it, you could use less added sugar If those apples are particularly sweet,” she notes.

“Apple pie is a great option — it’s got apples in it,” Czerwony adds. “But it’s really how you make it.”

A slice of apple pie contains the following:

• 411 calories

• 19 grams of fat

• 3.7 grams of protein

• 57 grams of carbs

• 2 grams of fiber

Bannan recommends modifying apple pie recipes so that whole-wheat flour is used for the crust, and healthy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are used in bigger amounts to enhance flavor and provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

Go for a thinner, lighter crust or even an apple crisp — which uses an oat-based crumb topping rather than a double crust — to reduce the number of calories, she notes.

Eating pie a la mode or with whipped cream will add lots of calories, sugar and fat, so keep that in mind when choosing your dessert.

Which is healthier: Pumpkin pie or apple pie?

Pumpkin pie is generally considered healthier than apple pie, Bannan says. It’s lower in calories, fat and carbs, and has more protein.

But the differences are small, and in the end, both pies are dessert foods that come with sugar, says Nancy Mazarin, a registered dietitian in in Great Neck, New York.

“Pie is pie is pie,” Mazarin tells TODAY.com. “You can’t put any apple pie in a category of apples, and you can't put a pumpkin pie in the category of a healthy starch.”

Have whichever one you like better on Thanksgiving, or if you like both, have a small piece of each, she suggests.

Focus on balance and portion control during the holidays, and mindfully savor each slice to enjoy the festive season, Bannan advises.

Eat dessert as close to the dinner as possible to help prevent highs and lows in blood sugar and feeling sleepy after the Thanksgiving feast, Czerwony says.

Enjoy the pie you really love, Mazarin adds: “If it’s not wonderful, why eat it?”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com