Is it possible to survive on a diet of nothing but pumpkin pie?

Who's asking: John Erath, Arlington, VA

I've been saving this question for Thanksgiving week, because I too am extremely fond of pumpkin pie -- for that matter, I'm extremely fond of pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, stewed pumpkin, and roasted pumpkin.

The answer to this question is yes -- at least for a while. Pumpkin pie includes all the major food groups, but not exactly in the proportions we're supposed to eat them. According to one analysis I found, a slice of pumpkin pie has 320 calories, of which 48% (153 calories) comes from fat. As a rule, we're only supposed to get 30% of our calories from fat, but pumpkin pie is undoubtedly better for you than a Big Mac.

While pumpkin pie is a fantastic source of Vitamin A and a decent source of Vitamins C, D and E, you'd probably need to take B supplements after a while. The beta carotene in pumpkin might turn your skin yellow or orange after a while, and you might not get enough iron from a pumpkin pie-based diet.

All that said, it might be worth the risk... for a day or two. Moderation in everything, including moderation.

I'm off to Hannaford to buy my canned pumpkin right now.

First five random songs off the iPod Shuffle this morning:

"Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things," Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues. Off the Red Hot & Blue tribute album, a perversely cheerful cover of a Cole Porter medley. One of my favorites.

"Could It Be Forever," The Partridge Family. As part of my birthday celebration, I copied my Partridge Family Greatest Hits CD to my iTunes library. In my heart, I'm still six years old -- and 16 -- and 26.

"Chimes of Freedom," The Byrds. The Byrds' sound is eternal.

"Fragments of Fragments," The Who. From the new CD, Endless Wire; it's an echo of "Baba O'Riley," and somehow brings everything back around. See Pete Townshend's recent journal entry for his own take on the aging process.

"Why," Annie Lennox. Weirdly appropriate for this week, which has brought many long-quiet voices back into my life. I guess that's what birthdays are for. "This is the book I never read/These are the words I never said/This is path I'll never tread/These are the dreams I'll dream instead."