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Butternut Squash – What are Butternut Squash Health Benefits? | Butternut Squash Vitamins and Nutrition Values | Health Benefits Of Butternut Squash

Butternut squash, also known in Australia as Butternut pumpkin, is a type of winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste that is similar to pumpkin. It has yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange, and becomes sweeter and richer. It grows on a vine. The most popular variety, the Waltham Butternut, originated in Stow, Massachusetts, on what is now the Butternut Farm Golf Club.Butternut squash has no fat or cholesterol, which makes it a good choice for those who must follow special diets. It is a good source of fiber. Fiber is important in a heart healthy diet and aids digestion.

Butternut squash is also a great source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium,manganese and calcium. And a big plus: it’s low in calories, only 82 calories in a cup of baked squash cubes.Interestingly, when you buy canned pumpkin pie filling, you are most likely buying butternut squash not pumpkin squash, according to Molly Jahn, professor of plant breeding at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Jahn has developed one of the newer and most flavorful varieties of butternut squash, called bugle. The bugle, smaller than the usual butternut has superior disease resistance and health.

Squash’s tangerine hue, however, indicates butternut’s most noteworthy health perk. The color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, the gourd boasts very high levels of beta carotene, identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a supporter of healthy lung development in fetuses and newborns. What’s more, with only a 1 cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant rich vitamin C.

As if this weren’t enough, butternut squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.Butternut squash is extremely versatile when it comes to cooking and adding to other dishes. You may slice it in half, remove the seeds and bake it. Or, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel off the hard skin, then chop to cook in other ways.

If you choose to bake butternut squash, it will need to bake about an hour face down on a cookie sheet to become soft. About 15 minutes before cooking is complete, turn the squash over and fill the cavity with a little butter and brown sugar.Cubed or diced butternut squash can be added to soups or stews with the other vegetables. For a side dish by itself, you can saute cubed butternut squash with butter and your favorite seasonings. Butternut squash can also be boiled and mashed like potatoes.