Have you ever wondered about the benefits of vibrant winter squash? How do the different colors play a role in improving your health?
One of the many reasons squash is in high demand during the colder seasons is its high fiber and nutritional density. Some health benefits include improving blood pressure, supporting gut health, and decreasing your risk for certain diseases.
There are over 100 kinds of summer and winter squash. They're all incredibly beneficial fruits (and yes, squash is considered fruit).
Squash is more than just decorative pieces on your Thanksgiving table. Between their antioxidant levels and large list of vitamins, they're one of the best ingredients you could add to your fall or winter dinner menus.
Read more: 8 easy tips for healthy holiday eating (Good Food is Good Medicine)
Here's an overview of the vitamins and minerals that squash contain and ways in which you can enjoy these delicious gourds:
Acorn squash
Acorn squash has a hard, green shell on the outside but is filled with a vibrant, orange middle that's rich in flavor.
Benefits
This squash has a lot of antioxidants, which can boost your immunity and help your body to fight off certain diseases. Acorn squash contains antioxidants like vitamin C that help strengthen bones and blood vessels. It also has vitamin A, which helps improve the health of your lungs, heart and other vital organs.
How to cook
When creating a meal with acorn squash, slice the fruit in half and drizzle olive oil to add healthy fats. You can bake or roast it in your oven and top it off with either savory or sweet seasonings.
Cinnamon can add sweetness to acorn squash while still being nutritious – or even dessert. You can even eat the skin for added fiber.
Butternut Squash
Along with its buttery flavor and vibrant color, this squash almost tastes like a sweet potato. The outside and inside are much firmer than other squash before cooking.
Butternut squash contains considerable amounts of fiber, which can help you keep a healthy weight and regulate bowel movements. It's known to help prevent colorectal cancer while the beta-carotene in butternut squash can also improve eye health.
How to Cook
Butternut squash has a much harder inside and needs to cook for longer. Cut this fruit in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast for about 40 minutes for a delicious side dish.
Check out this recipe for roasted squash with wild rice and cranberry (Good Food Is Good Medicine)
Learn the warning signs of early colon cancer (Cultivating Health)
Spaghetti Squash
You may have seen this round, yellow squash in your local grocery store. The inside of spaghetti squash truly looks like spaghetti. It can have a crunchy but delicious texture when cooked.
Benefits
This squash provides you with high amounts of vitamin B6 and fiber. It also contains vitamins A and C which help with gum and overall dental health. People use this as a lower-calorie substitute for spaghetti or to add more nutrition to their meals.
How to cook
When preparing spaghetti squash, you can either cut it in half and roast it or scoop out the middle and discard the outside. This squash can mimic a spaghetti substitute or can work as a normal side dish with butter and/or cheese.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are round and come in orange, white, or green colors. Their flavor is herbaceous and is one of fall's staple ingredients – from drinks to desserts.
Benefits
This spooky squash is not just a fall decoration. It contains ample vitamins and antioxidants that can help you get through flu season. Pumpkins contain beta-carotene, which your body changes to vitamin A. Vitamin A can improve eye health, reduce your risk of cancer, and boost your immunity to help fight off seasonal illnesses.
How to cook
Pumpkins are one of the biggest flavors during the holiday. You can eat all parts of a pumpkin, so you can find a recipe for every taste. From roasting their seeds with olive oil to cooking their skin as a snack, nothing will go to waste.
Check out these six ways to cook pumpkin (Good Food is Good Medicine)
Read about 5 immune boosters to help keep you healthy amid flu season
Winter squash should always have a place on your table this holiday season. Between beneficial vitamins to high amounts of antioxidants, nothing could beat this as a side dish or a plant-based main meal. Well, maybe twice-baked potatoes.
Learn about the health benefits of potatoes and why you should eat more spuds (Good Food is Good Medicine)
Health information reviewed by registered dietitian Marie Barone.
Winter squash will deliver Vitamins A and C, antioxidants, fiber and potassium. When you're prepping winter squash, don't ditch the seeds. They can be roasted and also provide nutrients including more fiber, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats (the types you want to eat more of), vitamin E, and iron.
Yellow squash can be eaten cooked or raw -- either way provides you with lots of nutrition. (Although you'll lose some of the water content when you cook the squash.) It's low-calorie, low-sugar, and its fiber and water content can help you stay fuller, longer.
This squash has a lot of antioxidants, which can boost your immunity and help your body to fight off certain diseases. Acorn squash contains antioxidants like vitamin C that help strengthen bones and blood vessels. It also has vitamin A, which helps improve the health of your lungs, heart and other vital organs.
Rich in Vitamins & Minerals: Winter squash is a nutritional treasure chest, offering a substantial supply of essential nutrients. A single serving provides a generous 200% of your daily vitamin A needs, vital for maintaining good vision and a robust immune system.
Its orange flesh has a sweet and nutty flavor and is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protective plant compounds. In addition to vitamins A and C, butternut squash is also rich in carotenoid plant pigments and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and manganese.
To steam, place food into a steam basket and cover over simmering water. Since food is not directly touching the water, vegetables retain more of their nutrients. Just watch steaming closely so as not to overcook your veggies.
Contrary to popular belief, squash is botanically classified as a fruit, not a vegetable. This is because it grows from flowers and has seeds. But squash brings the best of both produce worlds when it comes to health benefits. “They're all relatively low in carbs, high in fiber and nutrient-dense,” says Sommer.
Winter squash also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, and for that reason may help in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Early studies also suggest that vegetables in this family may block the formation of cholesterol in cells and help regulate blood sugar levels.
While the high beta-carotene content in squash can provide many benefits, studies also suggest that consuming too much of this compound can increase the risk of lung cancer. In addition, some types of prepared squash include high amounts of added sugar.
1. Butternut Squash. One of the most popular varieties of squash, it can be use in so many ways. It's one of the most rich in Vitamin A, boasting about 100% of the recommended daily value per cup, in the antioxidant form of beta-carotene.
Is yellow squash as nutritious as zucchini? The two are very similar in terms of their nutrition content and health perks. For example, both are about 95% water, making them low in both calories and carbs, and are decent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.
Exhibit B: While both are high in B vitamins, the squash is higher in folate, a must in the diets future and soon-to-be mamas, as well as mega-antioxidant vitamin E, and bone-building calcium. However, the squash must concede when it comes to fiber content, with the sweet potato taking first place (4 grams vs.
All squash skin is edible. However, in the same way you wouldn't eat a banana peel, edible doesn't necessarily mean you want to eat it. Some squash has thin skin that's tasty and tender, while others have a tough shell that even cooked is chewy and stringy.
Raw yellow squash is the way to go if you are looking for a high source of vitamin C and water content. On the other hand, if you want to increase the bioavailability of nutrients and the availability of beta-carotene, cooking your yellow squash is the better option.
Scoop out the creamy flesh and eat as is or blend into a puree. Peel the halves and chop the firm orange flesh into cubes. Toss the squash with olive oil and roast at 400°F until tender-but-firm (about 30 minutes should do the trick). Boil the cubes, drain 'em, and make a mash.
One cup of cooked squash with a volume of 205ml has only 83 calories and has up to 7 grams of fiber. Therefore, this is also a great choice for those who want to lose weight and obesity. Squash contains a lot of fiber, including both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Is yellow squash as nutritious as zucchini? The two are very similar in terms of their nutrition content and health perks. For example, both are about 95% water, making them low in both calories and carbs, and are decent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.
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