Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a winter squash with bright orange flesh that is valued for its versatility and sweet, nutty flavor. Butternut squash, despite usually being mistaken for a vegetable, is actually a fruit. Butternut squash is high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, as well as is delicious.

Many vitamins and minerals are abundant in butternut squash. Cooked butternut squash offers more than 450% of the RDI for vitamin A and more than 50% of the RDI for vitamin C in a one-cup (205-gram) serving. It's also high in carotenoids, which are plant pigments that give butternut squash its vibrant color. Carotenoids include beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and alpha-carotene. These substances are provitamin A carotenoids, which your body transforms into retinal and retinoic acid, which are the active forms of vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for cell development, eye health, bone health, and immune system function. It's also essential for fetal growth and development, making it a crucial vitamin for expectant women.