Today’s post is from our #PSPfit Nutrition Coach, Abra Pappa. She’ll be sharing some nutrition tips for healthy curves with us! In today’s post, Abra will be teaching us 4 easy ways to cook butternut squash!
Can we all agree that butternut squash is one of the yummiest foods fall has to offer? I am a huge fan!
I have many clients that love ordering butternut squash soup from restaurants but feel intimidated to cook with squash at home. If you can relate, I’ve got some good news for you. Firstly, grocery stores over the past few years have offered a major game changer in the squash world, peeled and cubed butternut squash. The most labor intensive bit of cooking with butternut squash is peeling and chopping so if that is your biggest intimidation factor go ahead and buy the peeled/cubed variety. If you are a squash peeling master, awesome, you get bonus points! Whichever side of the fence you land on try these amazing recipes to get some more squash in your life.
In addition to the yum factor, butternut squash is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Here are a few reasons why your body will thank you for eating more squash:
*The starch compounds in winter squash have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic as well as insulin regulating properties. So for my ladies with PCOS butternut squash is a supportive food for blood sugar regulation. Yippee!
*Butternut squash is an excellent source of beta-carotene (this is what gives squash it’s orange color) which converts to vitamin A in your system once ingested. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient required to help the liver process estrogen.
*Butternut squash is an important source of omega 3 fatty acids, anti-inflammatory compounds that are essential for the body but must be obtained from food. Winter squash (butternut included) contains about 340 milligrams of Omega 3 per cup.
Cooking and Recipe Tips:
The simplest thing to do with butternut squash is roast it.
Simply drizzle squash with a bit of oil (I love coconut oil) sprinkle with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices (cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, and cayenne go really well with squash) lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400° oven for 40-55 minutes or until tender.
Once you have this easy variation down you can do so many more things with squash!
Like make a killer soup:
Maple Curry Butternut Squash Soup
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Add it to a delicious salad:
Farro Butternut Squash Salad
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Squash, Fig, Kale Salad
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or even make a healthier mac and cheese (how do you like me now???)
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
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Do you have a favorite recipe for butternut squash?
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