In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleButternut SquashButtercup SquashHoneynut SquashAcorn SquashSpaghetti SquashSweet Dumpling SquashKabocha SquashDelicata SquashPumpkin
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Butternut Squash
Buttercup Squash
Honeynut Squash
Acorn Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Sweet Dumpling Squash
Kabocha Squash
Delicata Squash
Pumpkin
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While everything pumpkin and pumpkin spice may rule fall menus, there are many other delicious, nutrient-dense winter squash varieties to choose from come harvest time. Compared tosummer squash—like zucchiniand yellow squash—winter squash varieties tend to have slightly more hearty and flavorful flesh and larger seeds—often used for roasting. Many also have tough skin that needs to be removed before eating—althoughsome, like delicata, have edible skin. While specific amounts of nutrients and antioxidants vary, all varieties of winter squash provide similar nutrient benefits.
Winter squash delivers a wealth of nutrients, including vitamins A and C, antioxidants, fiber and potassium. When you’re prepping winter squash, keep the seeds—they also provide nutrients including more fiber, heart- and brain-healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, vitamin E and iron.It’s easy to roast themand they make a great snack or soup and salad topper.
Learn more about why all the different varieties of winter squash are so good for you and get delicious ideas to add these healthy vegetables to your diet.
One of the most popular varieties of squash, butternut squash is also one of the most versatile. Butternut holds the honor of being one of the types of squash richest in vitamin A. One cup boasts about 83% of the recommended daily value in the antioxidant form of beta-carotene, per theUSDA.
“This winter squash is delicious roasted on its own, as a salad or stir fry topper, pureed into a soup or just paired with a balanced meal,” saysSarah Schlicter, M.P.H., R.D.N., of Bucket List Tummy. It’s also pairs perfectly with apples and nuts, as in ourApple & Pean Stuffed Butternut Squash.
Schlicter adds that butternut squash is high in vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium and magnesium. One cup of butternut squash also offers 3 grams offiber to benefit gut health. Fiber helps keep things moving through the digestive tract and also provides food for your beneficial gut bacteria (yes, even bacteria need to eat to survive!). Due to its high antioxidant activity and range of nutrients, research like a 2024 research article inFoods, suggests butternut squash may help balance blood sugar and prevent cancer. It’s also been shown to be antimicrobial, which means it supports immune health.
Healthy Butternut Squash Recipes
A short and stout squash variety with a green skin, the texture of buttercup squash is sweet and creamy. Like other varieties, buttercup is rich in vitamins A and C as well as magnesium and potassium.Potassium is important for fluid balanceand healthy blood pressure.
Buttercup squash also offers a variety of carotenoid antioxidants. TheAmerican Institute for Cancer Researchstates that evidence suggests diets higher in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of cancer overall—and that there is emerging evidence supporting their prevention of lung cancer.
Try buttercup squash in ourOven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley.
After halving and roasting your honeynut squash, dig some of the flesh out and mix it with a seasoned whole grain before stuffing it back into the squash. Enjoy it alongside your favorite protein—including fish, chicken, beef or pork. Or, in addition to the seasoned whole grain, include some chickpeas or white beans and top with a sprinkling of cheese for a vegetarian main meal. Honeynut squash is also an excellent choice for anaturally sweet and creamy squash soup.
Roasted Honeynut Squash
Michele Fumagalli, R.D., L.D.N., former professional soccer player and owner of Fit Plate Nutrition, loves how acorn squash is the size of a bowl when halved. “The taste and nutrient profile makes it perfect in meals—whether roasted and stuffed, made into a mash or soup, or cut along the ridges for a steak-cut fry alternative,” says Fumagalli.
The skin of acorn squash is edible when cooked, so you can stuff and roast your squash and eat it all, increasing the fiber content of your meal, saysLaura Farrell, RD, LD, CDN, a dietitian in private practice in New York.
Farrell adds that eating the squash’s fiber-rich skin can promote optimal digestive function. Acorn squash is a good source of vitamin A, magnesium and potassium and is high in vitamin C.
Since its flesh can pull apart into strands resembling angel hair pasta, spaghetti squash is often used as a low-carb replacement for pasta dishes. This unique characteristic helped it gain popularity in kitchens and on restaurant menus. While it isn’t as high in vitamins and minerals as other winter squash varieties, it still provides a variety of carotenoid antioxidants and 2 grams of fiber per cup, according to theUSDA.
Since it looks similar to decorative gourds, you may skip over sweet dumpling squash in the grocery store. However, its smaller size means it cooks quickly. Sweet dumpling squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and since you can eat the skin, it offers both soluble and insoluble fiber, which benefit the gut in a variety of ways. Brush on some maple syrup and dust with some cinnamon before roasting for a sweet seasonal side dish.
Use sweet dumpling squash in place of butternut squash in ourRoasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad.
You may find kabocha squash—also known as Japanese pumpkin—with either dark orange-red or green skin, but either have similar-colored flesh. This short and stout squash is great for cutting into slices for roasting or peeling and roasting in cubes before adding to salads and mixed dishes. It is a rich source of vitamin A, per theUSDA. Similar to other squash varieties, kabocha squash offers fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C and small amounts of iron, calcium, potassium and B vitamins.
Swap the butternut for kabocha in ourRoasted Butternut Squash SaladorMassaged Kale Salad with Roasted Squash & Chickpeas.
As their name implies, these small, oblong squash have a thinner, more delicate skin than other squash varieties. If you’re intimidated about eating squash skin, delicata squash is the variety to start with. “It adds a sweet flavor to any fall or winter dish and unlike other squashes, requires no peeling and cooks quickly,” says Farrell.
You can slice and season your delicata squash before roasting, or stuff it with a mixture of your favorite protein, whole grain and greens. OurQuinoa-Stuffed Delicata Squashis a great place to start. Want more spice? Try our Tex-Mex-inspiredStuffed Delicata Squash. Delicata also makes a beautiful side dish in ourHoney-Glazed Roasted Delicata Squashor ourDelicata Squash Soup.
According to theUSDA, canned pumpkin is rich in fiber, antioxidants and vitamin A. It’s also a good source of potassium, iron and vitamin E.
And whilepumpkin piemight be as far as you’ve taken pumpkin to date, there are so many other things it can be used for. You canblend pumpkin into smoothiesand use it in overnight orbaked oatmeal. Or go the savory route and make ourPumpkin Risotto with Goat CheeseorPumpkin & Black Bean Soup. For dessert, break out of the pumpkin pie mold and try ourPumpkin TrifleorPumpkin Spice Latte Cookies.
What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Pumpkin Regularly
The Bottom Line
All types of winter squash are nutritious and offer a variety of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium. If you can’t find fresh squash—or don’t want to mess with peeling and cutting them—look for already-prepped squash in your grocer’s produce department. Frozen and canned squash also save time and are easy to use. Check the label and choose the brand with the least amount of added sodium and no added sugar.
Other than spaghetti squash, you can swap the various types of winter squash for each other in recipes. If you use fresh squash, save the seeds androast them. While we often think ofpumpkin seedsfor roasting, all squash seeds can be roasted—and they add nutrition to recipes or as a stand-alone snack.
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