When you close your eyes and hear butternut squash, what is the first thought that comes to mind?
Is butternut squash part of your diet …. nourishment? What are some of the ways you have enjoyed butternut squash? Do you have a favorite restaurant that serves butternut squash? Do you have a favorite butternut squash dish?
How many reading this know if butternut squash is a fruit or a vegetable? Would it surprise you to learn it is a fruit?
Do you know why?
That’s because fruits have seeds and vegetables do not. Squash is commonly thought of as a vegetable, but it is actually part of the fruit family.
As a child, I don’t remember eating butternut squash. I really don’t have a memory of it until a few years ago. It seems as more and more people are focused on healthy eating; butternut squash is becoming known as a versatile ingredient lending creativity and taste to food. I love it as a sauce and I love it in my chili, as part of my salad or as part of just about anything I can create in the kitchen.
My dog Emma loves butternut squash. She is a smart dog and she’d bark in agreement.
Did you know? Butternut squash provides 23 to 31 mg of vitamin C? Or that it has more potassium than a banana? Or that it is a good source of Vitamin A and Fiber?
Women require 75 mg of vitamin C daily and Men 90 mg. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, one cup of cooked, cubed butternut squash, of about 205 grams, contains:
1.8 grams (g) of protein
0.18 g of fat
6.6 grams of dietary fiber
582 mg of potassium
31 milligrams of vitamin C
More fun facts:
– Vitamin C helps reduce skin wrinkles.
– Vitamin C is important to our immune health along with tissue growth and health.
– Though butternut squash is a winter squash it is grown in the summer and harvested in the fall.
– Butternut squash is called Gramma in Australia and New Zealand.
And with flu season on the horizon, I am finding it fun to learn which fruits and vegetables offer the vitamins and nutrients my body needs. I never thought of butternut squash containing vitamin C and potassium, but it is a great source for both.
Have you thought about growing butternut squash yourself?
If so, check this out for some helpful tips: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/growing-butternut-squash.htm
Have you thought about making your own butternut squash recipe? If so, please share!
If not, here is a yummy recipe from Cooking with Grams for Butternut Qutab.
And here is a link to some other fun recipes:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/g767/butternut-squash-recipes/
A personal favorite of mine is to use butternut squash in place of meat in chili – it is delicious and savory.
Until next week, thank you for being a part of this journey. Please feel free to share your thoughts or ideas.
Hugs,
Elizabeth
References:
1) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284479.php
2) See footnote above – Medical News Today – it is high in other nutrients as well (i.e. magnesium, phosphorous …. Butternut squash is also a good source of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, and manganese.)
3) https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c#1
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