Winter squash can be intimidating if you haven’t been properly introduced.
But once you get past the array of names, shapes and colors, you’ll find a food that’s flavorful, adaptable and nutritious.
“I’m a big fan,” said Dr. Amy Lazarus Yaroch, chief executive officer of the Center for Nutrition and Health Impact, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
Winter squash actually refers to squash grown in the summer and harvested before the first frost. Varieties include butternut, acorn, spaghetti, delicata, buttercup and kabocha. Pumpkins are considered a winter squash variety, too, although for eating you’ll want a small “pie pumpkin” or “sugar pumpkin,” not a jack-o’-lantern.
Yaroch, a volunteer with the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association’s Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health, spelled out why winter squash are worth getting to know.
Nutrient levels vary by variety, Yaroch said. But winter squashes have several qualities in common. They generally are:
Rich in heart-healthy potassium. One cup of cooked butternut squash has 582 milligrams of the mineral, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s 22% of the recommended daily amount for women and 17% for men. Potassium-rich foods are important for maintaining healthy blood pressure.
High beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A to support vision and immune function. “That’s a big immunity booster,” Yaroch said. Winter squash also contain other antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and aging.
Full of fiber, which makes squash “really good for gut health,” Yaroch said. One cup of cooked acorn squash has 9 grams and only about 115 calories. Fiber has been shown to help protect against heart disease, diabetes and more.
Winter squash also have a low glycemic load, a measure of how quickly a food affects blood sugar levels. A cup of baked butternut squash has about half the carbohydrates than an equivalent serving of sweet potato.
Winter squashes have thick rinds that have to be dealt with, but those rinds also mean most can be stored in a cool space for months, according to South Dakota State University Extension. (Just don’t store them near apples, ripe pears or tomatoes, which produce ethylene that will speed ripening and shorten shelf life.)
Winter squash varieties are often described as sweet and nutty, but each is a bit different. Round, green buttercup squash is noted for its creamy texture. Striped sweet dumpling squash is likened to both sweet corn and sweet potatoes. Yellow-orange spaghetti squash, which forms pasta-like strands when cooked, is considered mild. (It’s also lower in nutrients than other varieties.)
Yaroch suggested trying winter squash:
As soup. “I love butternut squash soup or pumpkin soup,” Yaroch said. The creamy texture is a treat for someone, like her, who can’t eat dairy products.
In stew. She uses buttercup squash in beef stew to add depth to the flavor, she said, and as a healthier option to white potatoes.
In smoothies. Roast, boil or microwave the squash and blend away. You can also use it in recipes for overnight oats.
Stuffed. Try roasting a squash and filling it with quinoa.
As a snack. Pumpkins and butternut squash have a lot of seeds, Yaroch said, which can be used in other recipes or roasted and eaten on their own.
As healthy as squash can be, preparing anything with a lot of fat, sugar or salt is going to decrease its nutritional value, Yaroch said.
“I’m not one of those people who thinks you can’t have pie, or you can’t have pumpkin bread,” she said. “I think they’re very good and tasty. But just see it for what it is, which is more of a treat.”
You could opt for frozen squash, Yaroch said, but she prefers it fresh. She likes the whole experience of “handling it, cutting it up, scooping out the seeds and seeing it in its original form.”
If you have access to a farmers market or an informed grocer, ask about the varieties. A farmer could tell you, “Oh, this varietal’s like this, and this one's a little sweeter, this one’s a little nuttier tasting – that sort of thing,” Yaroch said.
That approach has worked for her. While at a farmers market with a friend, she once spotted a long, yellow, speckled squash she was unfamiliar with. The farmer introduced her to delicata. “And from that point on, I was changed. It’s one of my favorites.”
Unlike some larger, thicker-skinned varieties, delicata is a breeze to handle, she said. Just lay it on a side, slice straight through, scoop the seeds out, and then cut into rings. Put that on a cookie sheet, drizzle a little olive oil, and bake or roast it, “and it’s a great side dish.”
As a bonus, delicata has an edible rind. “You don’t even need to peel it,” she said. “It’s delicious.”
So, wander that produce aisle until you meet your own favorite, she said. “See which one calls out to you.”
Eat It or Leave It? is an American Heart Association series that takes a closer look at the health benefits and drawbacks of specific foods, drinks and nutrients.
Find squash recipes at the American Heart Association recipe page at https://recipes.heart.org/en/.
