Good Reasons to Eat Squash
Pumpkin, squash, butternut and more; the Squash veggie is always in full swing from October to December. It is low in calories and nutritious, and they are excellent for keeping in shape. Health allies are rich in vitamin A, minerals and trace elements, which are essential nutrients to fight winter viruses.
During winter, the outside temperature drops, and the fruit and vegetable aisles fill up with pumpkins, pumpkins, gourds, and various squashes. Easy to cook and practical to store, cucurbits are also rich in essential nutrients to get through the change of season and the start of winter. Here are the good reasons to include it in your menus.
Nutritional Values and Calories: What Does Squash Contain?
Nutrients: Content per 100g
Water: 92.3g
Proteins: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 1.6g
Sugar:1.6g
Dietary fiber: 1.3g
Lipids: 0.17g
Saturates: 0.037g
Monounsaturated fatty acids: 0.013g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 0.077g
Cholesterol: 0
Learn More About Nutrients in Squash
In addition to being low in calories, squash is rich in dietary fiber.
Pumpkins contain many minerals and trace elements, including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. These nutrients are useful for stimulating the body’s defenses and limiting the risk of deficiencies, particularly iron.
They Are Also Rich in Vitamin A:
100 g of squash provides around 40% of the recommended nutritional value of vitamin A. The latter is essential for the skin and vision, but not only that. It also helps to the proper functioning of the immune system, which is important during this season, to fight against winter viruses. Vitamin A is better absorbed by the body if you eat Pumpkin with a little fat.
Pumpkin, giraumon, butternut… the main varieties of squash
Excellent for your health, squash is also delicious! A taste and a way of cooking for each variety. Because it is sometimes difficult to navigate, here is a selection of squashes and their characteristics:
Butternut squash: Its flesh is orange-yellow, tender and has a slightly nutty taste. It is prepared in soup, gratin, soufflé, and cake.
Spaghetti squash:
Its yellow flesh turns into filaments that you simply scrape off after cooking. You can cooke in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes and is cooked like pasta.
Butternut Squash:
Its orange flesh is sweet and very fragrant. Also, you can cook as a gratin, soup, and cake.
Baby Boo:
Its flesh is orange and very sweet, with a slight taste of nuts and chestnuts. It is stuffed and its seeds are prized.
Pumpkin:
Its flesh is orange and firm with a chestnut taste. You can use them in stew, mashed, gratin, or soup.
Pumpkin:
Its flesh is dark orange and soft. It is ideal in soup or puree.
Giraumon:
Its light orange flesh is firm. It is cooked in soup, gratin, jam.
Squash Has Benefits for Our Skin
Squash is full of beta-carotene. A precursor to vitamin A, beta-carotene fights against free radicals and thus limits premature skin aging. Its antioxidant properties also protect against infections.
Squash Protects Our Eyes
Squash contains two pigments, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are not synthesized by the body but are provided only through food. Pregnant women, those people who consume alcohol or smoke are more likely to be deficient. These pigments provide better visual acuity. They help to filter blue light, which is harmful to the eyes, neutralize free radicals from the sun’s rays, and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
Squash: A Weapon Against Cancer?
Epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of foods rich in beta-carotene with a reduced risk of cancer. This is because beta-carotene is an antioxidant that improves certain functions of the immune system. However, the effect of supplements has not always led to convincing results in cancer prevention. It is, therefore, preferable to consume foods rich in beta-carotene, such as pumpkin.
Diabetes: Pumpkin Does Not Increase Blood Sugar
Squash has a low glycemic index. Knowledge of the glycemic index is useful for people with diabetes and need to control their blood sugar levels.
Some studies claim that squash’s power in this area goes even further. In particular, Siamese squash is said to have a hypoglycemic effect, whether in rabbits or humans.
The carbohydrates present in this food, also known as polysaccharides, are said to increase insulin levels and reduce blood glucose levels. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon is still unknown. Further studies need to be carried out to determine the extent of pumpkin’s benefits for people with diabetes.
The Benefits of Squash for Digestion
Squash fights constipation and promotes the proper functioning of the digestive system due to its fiber content. These substances are essential to ensure the proper functioning of our body.
Fiber contributes to the health of the microbiota by nourishing good bacteria. Above all, they help regulate transit by increasing the volume of stools in the event of constipation and by capturing water from the digestive tract in the event of diarrhea.
Pumpkin helps the body get rid of waste and toxins, things it doesn’t need.
How to Cook Squash?
There are as many ways to cook squash as there are varieties: in shepherd’s pie, in gratin, in puree, in risotto, in spaghetti and even in cake. You can be more imaginative to incorporate them into your dishes this fall. Especially since squash is often a hit with young and old alike thanks to its sweet taste and softness.
The Benefits of Juices and Soups
Consuming squash in liquid form is an effective way to benefit from all its benefits without thinking too much.
Simply peel them, cut it into pieces and put it through an extractor to obtain an autumnal juice. Add ginger and an orange for a sweet twist.
If you prefer soup, you can cut and peel. Cook it in a casserole dish for 45 minutes with potatoes, an onion and a stock cube.
Juices and soups are ideal meals for a healthy and balanced diet.
How to Eat Pumpkin Seeds? What are The Benefits of Seeds?
In addition to enhancing recipes, pumpkin seeds are good for your health. They are rich in proteins, zinc, unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols.
Thanks to these nutrients, pumpkin seeds help fight prostate disorders by stimulating the proper functioning of the bladder and fighting against inflammation in this area. Consuming 10 to 20 grams of pumpkin seeds, or one tablespoon, per day would provide these benefits.
You can roast pumpkin seeds and add salt. People can eat alone, in salads, or even in bread dough. Furthermore, pumpkin seeds can be ground and incorporated into sauces.
Beware of allergies! You may be allergic to zucchini, cucumber, melon, or squash, which are also cucurbits!
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