Squash is a delicious vegetable that is added to many meals during the fall and winter. Not only does it taste good, it has some great health benefits as well. Read on to discover more about this amazing vegetable.
Butternut squash is often recommended by dietitians to control cholesterol and help with weight loss. seeds are eaten as nutritious snack foods because they contain 35-45% oil and 30% protein.
Health benefits
Butternut squash contains many vital poly-phenolic, anti-oxidants, and vitamins. It is also very low in calories. 100 g of butternut squash contains only 45 calories.
Butternut contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but is rich in dietary fiber and phyto-nutrients.
Butternut also contains more vitamin A than pumpkins. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucusa. It is also an essential vitamin for optimum eye-sight.
It is also rich in B-complex vitamins like folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.
It also contains minerals like iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Butternut squash seeds are a great source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids that benefit heart health. They are rich in protein, minerals, and numerous health-benefiting vitamins. These seeds are a great source of the health promoting amino acid, tryptophan. Tryptophan converts to health benefiting GABA neuro-chemical in the human brain.
1 cup of cooked squash has 457% of the recommended daily allowance so a small amount can go a long way!
Stay warm as fall and winter creep in and enjoy this healthy, delicious food in soup or on its own! You can’t go wrong with butternut squash!
h/t: http://www.realfarmacy.com/healthy-butternut-squash/