VANCOUVER -- It’s almost time for holiday baking, and if you’re a pumpkin pie family, chances are you’ve used the canned stuff before. But have you ever thought about what’s in it? Turns out, canned pumpkin has a secret.

When the label says “pumpkin,” you probably expect that’s what’s inside. But it’s likely to contain a variety of squash.

“Even if the can says 100 per cent pumpkin, it’s probably a mix of pumpkin and golden squash, which is actually denser and sweeter,” says Trisha Calvo, Consumer Reports’ health editor. “The FDA has allowed it to be called ‘pumpkin’ since 1938.”

And Health Canada does too. Products sold under the pumpkin name must be “common field pumpkins of golden-fleshed varieties,” the regulations say, and “may contain squash.” And pumpkins can be called squash too.

But when it comes to your pie, you probably can’t tell the difference because it’s the spices you add, like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, that give your baked goods that sought-after pumpkin spice flavour.

Whatever’s in the can, it’s good for you too.

“Whether it’s fresh or canned, pumpkin and squash are super healthy,” Calvo says. “They’re rich in antioxidants, and one cup has as much vitamin A as you need in a day, or more.”

With files from Consumer Reports