Delicata squash is a winter squash, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and relatives of both the melon and the cucumber and comes in many different varieties. While each type varies in shape, colour, size and flavour, they all share some common characteristics.
Their shells are hard and difficult to pierce, enabling them to have long storage periods between one week and six months. The delicata squash is easily chopped and sliced and does not require roasting or baking to soften its flesh. Incorporating delicata squash into your meal plan meets nearly 3/4 of your daily requirement of vitamin A per serving.
This vitamin benefits your eyesight, especially your night vision. In addition, it contributes to the formation of your mucous membranes, teeth, skin and tissues. Delicata squash also serves as a good source of vitamin C; each 3/4-cup serving contains 15 percent of the amount your body requires each day.
Delicate squash is an excellent source of iron, the iron in your diet contributes toward forming proteins that deliver oxygen throughout your body, including your muscles and bloodstream. The growth of your cells also depends on iron to help direct the process.
The calcium in your meal plan promotes strong teeth and bones, and consuming enough is particularly critical as you get older, especially if you are a woman as your body needs more as you age.
A 1/2 cup delicata squash only has 20 calories and is fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and is an excellent source of many more vitamins and minerals. It is also a very good source of enzyme-promoting manganese and digestion-promoting dietary fiber.
Studies now show that these starch-related components in winter squash have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-diabetic and insulin-regulating properties. It feed and nurture the spleen, pancreas and stomach.
They impart warmth into your body, improve energy circulation, are high in complex carbohydrates which helps stabilize your blood sugar levels, and aids in digestion.