11 Recipes Featuring Acorn Squash as the Star Ingredient (2024)

FAQs

Does acorn squash raise blood sugar? ›

Unlike refined carb sources like white rice and white pasta, acorn squash is an excellent source of fiber, which slows digestion, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and promotes feelings of fullness ( 6 ).

Acorn squash is a starchy vegetable, meaning it's higher in carbs than non starchy ones, like broccoli and spinach. If you're watching your carbs, limit acorn squash to one cup or about 25% of your plate.

Place 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup in the cavity of each squash. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle the squash with 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash, until tender when pierced with a small knife.

Acorn squash can either be frozen raw or cooked. Cooking before freezing is recommended if a longer shelf life is desired. Frozen raw squash can be roasted, steamed or boiled, but do not thaw beforehand. Cooked frozen squash can be mashed, puréed or added to pasta and risotto dishes or soups.

Acorn squash has very low-fat content, with only 0.1 grams per 100g. Most of this fat (0.042grams) is polyunsaturated, a beneficial source for weight loss. Furthermore, it contains fewer sugar molecules than other winter and summer varieties. As a result, squash is a perfect low-carb diet.

Toxic squash syndrome can result from continuing to eat the bitter fruit. Some of the most rampant symptoms and indicators of toxic squash syndrome include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Toxic squash syndrome can be so severe that it can cause swelling in the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and kidneys.

Acorn squash: It has less vitamin A than butternut but provides even more fiber (9 grams per cup) and potassium (896 mg).

Acorn Squash

Starchy vegetables like winter squash also provide fiber to help you poop. Acorn squash is a small winter squash with orange flesh; its exterior is typically green but can also be white or orange.

Carb-counters will be happy to learn that winter squash has about half the amount of carbohydrates compared to potatoes, far fewer calories, and is lower on the glycemic index. White acorn squash is also loaded with fiber to help your body process carbohydrates in a healthier manner.

Rub the skin of the squash with a little oil, salt and pepper, and if you've got them, pat on any extra herb leaves you have to hand. Place the squash in the centre of a double layer of tin foil, then tightly wrap it up. Bake for around 2 hours, or until soft and cooked through.

Can you eat acorn squash raw? ›

Skip eating most hard-skinned squash raw. "Hard skinned squash is difficult to eat raw," Marz says. "They are usually much larger in size, have a harder flesh, and are much more fibrous." Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn.

Acorn Squash Storage

Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 F) dark cellar or storage area, but only about two weeks in the refrigerator. Ideally, only cut or cooked acorn squash should be refrigerated; they will suffer chill damage at temperatures below 50 F.

Summer squash, like most vegetables, must be blanched before they can be frozen. Blanching stops enzyme actions that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching works best if you heat 1 gallon of water to boiling in a large pot fitted with a wire basket or colander.

Depending on the type of pumpkin or squash, it should last 2 to 6 months when stored at the ideal temperature of between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit; a cool basem*nt can work well. Under ideal storage conditions, acorn squash can last up to 2 months, butternuts 2-to-3 months, and hubbarbs 5 to 6 months.

Its fiber helps with blood sugar. Butternut squash contains a type of fiber that's not digestible. If you have diabetes, it can help keep your blood sugar from rising after eating. Butternut squash also has a low glycemic index, which means that its carbs are digested more slowly.

Starchy potatoes

“Potatoes are a vegetable, but the health value of all vegetables are not interchangeable. White potatoes in particular have a very high glycemic load. As a result, a baked white potato can also raise blood sugar even more than a glazed doughnut.”

Nguyen said that people with diabetes can "confidently" eat butternut squash and sweet potato interchangeably, "as per their individual needs of carbohydrate intake." However, when in doubt, always consult with your doctor (and moderation is key).

Butternut Squash- Cooked butternut squash has nearly 22 grams of carbs, but nearly 7 grams of fiber, which makes it higher in sugar than many other vegetable options.