Beneficial butternut

Here’s a food idea for you. I say to my clients that if they are unsure what they can eat, then a good idea is to shoot for something that is calorie sparse but nutrient dense. Vegetables are great. You can load up on most vegetables without fear of overeating.

Butternut squash is a great substitute for spuds or sweet potato, if you don’t want too many carbs. Although most of the calories in squash come from carbs, it’s relatively low in calories but it has the bulky and filling qualities that make traditional carby vegetables so satisfying. The squash in this video is about 750g which, by the time you have de-seeded it, will deliver about 300 calories. If you felt like it, you could eat the whole thing with some lean protein and cruciferous vegetables and still come in under 500 calories.

Better still, it’s packed with goodness. Potassium, vitamin B6, folates, carotenoids, vitamin C and fibre are all abundant. It may also have anti-imflammatory effects. Whats’s not to like! It’s a must in a healthy diet.

In the video we show you one of our favourite ways to eat squash. Why not give it a try?