Butternut Squash: A Winter Gem

Summer boasts a true rainbow of produce: fire engine-red tomatoes, indigo-colored berries, royal purple eggplants, jewel-toned bell peppers, and cheery yellow and green zucchini, to name a few shades of the season. But you can enjoy colorful produce year-round, even when surrounded by winter’s white wonderland. ‘Tis the season for ruby red grapefruits, emerald green kale and chard, and, one of my favorites, vibrantly orange butternut squash.

This winter staple is brimming with nutrients that keep you healthy from head to toe. It’s most notable for high levels of beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant the helps repair and renew your skin to give it a youthful, radiant glow. Once converted to vitamin A, beta carotene also helps your immune system function at its best. Beta carotene, along with other carotenoids found in butternut squash, may also help fight arthritis aches and pains.

Butternut and other winter squashes, such as acorn, are also good sources of potassium and magnesium, two nutrients that help manage blood pressure and keep bones healthy and strong.

You can serve butternut squash mashed (like potatoes), or cut it into cubes and roast it to capitalize on the veggie’s nutty, sweet flavor. And I love my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup—pureeing the cooked squash produces a creamy, smooth soup that’s low in fat.

Here’s a prep tip: Butternut squash is VERY hard, so it can be difficult to cut. Buy fresh pre-cut chunks in your produce department, OR soften up a whole squash by giving it a quick zap in the microwave. Pierce the skin with a fork several times and microwave for about 2 minutes, then let it cool a bit before peeling and cutting.

I hope you'll make butternut squash and other seasonal specialties regulars in your grocery cart this winter!