There is no official recommended intake for beta-carotene but experts suggest a daily intake of 3 to 6 mg helps prevent disease. Second place goes to butternut squash, outscoring acorn, hubbard and spaghetti squash on vitamin C and beta-carotene. Adults, aged 19 to 50, need 38 g (men) and 25 g (women) a day older men and women require 30 and 21 grams, respectively. One cup of cooked squash offers nine grams of fibre, putting a sizeable dent in your daily requirement. Who knew? (Adults need 4,700 mg of potassium each day.)Īcorn squash is no slouch when it comes to fibre, either. Eat one cup of cooked acorn squash and you'll get more potassium (896 milligrams) than if you ate two medium bananas (844 mg). It offers more folate, calcium, magnesium (nearly one-third of a day's worth in one cup) and potassium than butternut, hubbard and spaghetti squash. So which winter squash is the overall nutrient heavyweight? Acorn squash wins the match. In fact, one-half cup of winter squash has as much soluble fibre as one cup of lentils, one cup of barley or three-quarters of a cup of cooked oat bran. If you choose the right squash, you'll also get plenty of fibre, mainly soluble fibre, the type that helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. (Vitamin A supports healthy vision and immune function.) Beta-carotene also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from free-radical damage. And it's one of the top food sources of beta-carotene, a phytochemical the body changes to vitamin A. Squash also serves up folate, vitamin C and calcium. In general, it's a good source of magnesium and potassium, minerals tied to healthy blood pressure. Winter squash delivers on the nutrition front. (My nutrient showdown includes butternut, acorn, hubbard and spaghetti squashes, the four varieties that have complete nutritional information.) Other varieties include buttercup, kabocha, delicata, turban, sweet dumpling and sugar pumpkin. The most common winter squashes you'll find in grocery stores and farmer's markets are butternut, acorn, hubbard and spaghetti squash. While all types of squash are healthy additions to your fall menu, there is one that outshines the others when it comes to nutrient content. You can buy winter squash in the supermarket most of the year, but now is the time to enjoy this season's harvest when flavours are at their best and nutrients are at their peak. Is one variety healthier than the others? THE ANSWER All squash are healthy – but acorn squash are best turbinata), also called pepper squash or Des Moines squash, is a winter squash with distinctive longitudinal ridges on its exterior and sweet, yellow-orange flesh inside.THE QUESTION I love to eat winter squash. Is there another name for acorn squash?Īcorn squash (Cucurbita pepo var. Since zucchini is a summer squash, it can be consumed raw, but we do not consume other squash types uncooked. The main difference between zucchini and squash is that squash is a fruit of the genus Cucurbita while zucchini is type of summer squash. The “meat” of an acorn squash has a mildly buttery flavor and is similar in palate profile to a butternut squash, pumpkin, and zucchini, albeit with an even milder taste than those and other types of squash (via Simply Healthy Family). What does acorn squash taste like?Īcorn squash is not bursting with flavor, frankly speaking. Butternut squash are beige and have a long “neck” with a bulbous end. They have thick green skin with prominent ridges, making it a bit more difficult to chop up for cooking. What is the difference between an acorn squash and a butternut squash?Īcorn squash are small and, well, shaped like acorns. Most varieties of squash have bright colours. There are different winter and summer squashes such as butternut, acorn, delicata, hubbard, kabocha, spaghetti squashes, and zucchini. However, squash has a light and hollow stem when compared to pumpkin.
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