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Both Butternut Squash and Acorn Squash are cool weather vegetables that deserve a prominent place at your table.

Butternut Squash provides one and a half times your daily recommended amount of vitamin A and nearly half of vitamin C.

Acorn squash supplies nine grams of fiber and nearly one-fifth of your daily potassium.

The calories in winter squashes are similar, but butternut squash is much higher in vitamin A than either spaghetti or acorn squash. Because of its dark orange color, butternut squash is one of the best sources of beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. It also contains vitamins C, E and B vitamins.

Note: 1-cup cubed and cooked

• 82 calories
• 6 grams fiber
• 1,444 micrograms vitamin A
• 31 milligrams Vitamin C
• 582 milligrams potassium

Note: 1 cup, cubed and cooked

• 115 calories
• 9 grams fiber
• 43 micrograms vitamin A
• 22 milligrams Vitamin C
• 896 milligrams potassium

Low in Sodium. All squash is low in sodium. When baked without salt, one cup of squash supplies only 8 milligrams of sodium. Adding one quarter teaspoon of salt would add approximately 575 milligrams of sodium. Seasonings that go very nicely with summer squash include cloves, curry powder, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary and sage. For winter squash, try cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or onion.

See also:
Squash Food Facts
Cooking Tip: Cooking Squash
Grilling Summer Squash
Squash Ravioli Vegetarian Recipe
Wild Rice Squash Risotto Low Fat Recipe
Crab-Stuffed Squash Low Carbohydrate Recipe

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