Foods you should eat: Spaghetti Squash
I’ve changed my nutritional habits considerably since I’ve started this site. The main changes I made were to eat more protein, eat more often, eat less processed foods and to cut back drastically on alcohol. Along the way I’ve read about and tried a variety of foods that I overlooked in my unhealthy past. So as an idea for more content for this site, I thought I’d write an ongoing set of articles about some of these foods. On to the first food: Spaghetti squash!
Spaghetti Squash
Description:
Spaghetti squash is a type of summer squash. When cooked, it has a taste that is a bit sweet and a bit of a crunchy texture. The most interesting aspect of it is the way the flesh of the squash turns into spaghetti-like strands when cooked – hence the name spaghetti squash.
Uses:
I like to use spaghetti squash as an alternative to pasta or noodles. It tastes great with pasta sauce or as the base for a stir fry and is also good on it’s own with a bit of olive oil and Parmesan. Here’s a couple of recipe links below:
Spaghetti Squash Primavera
Spaghetti Squash with Parsley and Garlic
Preparing:
Spaghetti Squash is very simple to prepare. I do it in either the oven or microwave following the steps below:
- Pierce the squash a few times to let steam escape
- Microwave for 8-12 minutes or roast in oven for 60 minutes at 375 f
- Let cool for 5 minutes
- Cut in half (watch the steam!)
- Remove the seeds with a spoon
- Tear the flesh into strands with a fork
It’s then ready to be used anywhere you might use pasta or noodles, or in any other recipe you can think of.
Nutrition:
1 cup of Spaghetti Squash contains:
- 42 Calories – 36 from carbs, 3.4 from fat, 2.5 from protein
- 2.2 grams of fiber
- folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene
Give it a try! It tastes great and is a perfect alternative to pasta or noodles if you’re looking to cut down on refined carbohydrates.