The Edible Squash

Its September!  Which means the Winter Squash is starting to become available. I have always been a mediocre fan of squash having had it served to me often in ways that just was not appealing.  My mother, however, made darn good Acorn squash every fall season and so I based all my experiences on her variation.

As an adult, I’ve learned to expand my palette and more variety has come into play.  Spaghetti squash and butternut squash now visit the table and this year I am setting a goal to try a few new varieties. 

The health benefits of the squash are awesome!  They are loaded with antioxidants and can play a role in reducing oxidative stress.  Loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene, it has the benefit of improved eye health.  Foods rich in these minerals may help slow the progression of macular degeneration a reduce chances of related vision loss. 

Vitamin C can also help prevent cataracts and it is important for growing and repairing cell tissue.

High in fiber, squash aids in digestion. Additionally, it is a good source of magnesium, calcium, iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin B6. 

As with anything, too much of a good thing can be bad for you so its important to incorporate this into your diet occasionally but not for every meal 

Some quick ideas for squash:

Clean and roast the seeds for healthy snack time

Replace the flour pasta with Spaghetti Squash

Use Butternut or Acorn squash as ravioli filling

Blend butternut squash with milk, dates and cinnamon to make a smoothie

Use acorn or Red Kuri squash to create a filling replacing for pumpkin pie

Enjoy this short list of Winter Squash that should look familiar to you :

Acorn Squash

Banana Squash

Black Futsu Squash

Boston Morrow Squash

Buttercup Squash

Carnival Squash

Butternut Squash

Field Pumpkin

Delicata Squash

Galeux d’Eysines Squash

Green Striped Cushaw Squash

Honeynut Squash

Kabocha Squash

Lakota Squash

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Musquee de Provence

Red Kuri Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Sugar Pumpkin

Sweet Dumpling Squash

Turban Squash

Hubbard Squash