We harvested all sorts of beautiful winter squash from the garden this year. My daughter and I planted a variety of winter squash including butternut, acorn, spaghetti and pumpkins and we love being able to harvest and eat this beautiful food. If you don’t have your own garden this season, the fruit/vegetable stands and grocery stores have their supplies of winter squash in and now is the time to stock up. With its thick skin, winter squash can last for months in a cool dry place. If you have a cold storage room, make sure you have some stored to last through the winter. 

Bringing our harvest inside provides us with fall decorations, but more importantly this harvest is good for our health. Winter squash is high in vitamins and minerals. Butternut, acorn, and pumpkins have bright orange flesh which indicates that they are high in beta carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. Beta carotenes are most notably helpful for eye and cardiovascular health and cancer prevention. Winter squash is also high in Vitamin B, C, potassium, magnesium and the trace minerals copper, selenium, and manganese. The body needs these vitamins and minerals and can easily use them when found in food. Winter squash also contains a high amount of fiber which helps you feel full while nourishing gut bacteria and balancing blood sugar. 

The thick skin can seem intimidating, but most winter squashes are easy to prepare – just cut them lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and roast until tender. The skin is also full of vitamins and minerals, and once cooked is pretty palatable (especially with thin skinned squashes). Just be wary of eating squash that has been waxed to look more appealing. You can also peel the squash (butternut is the easiest for this method), cube, and then steam, roast, or add to soups and stews. Cubed squash freezes well to pull out on a busy night for quick meal prep. Keep the seeds and roast them with a little salt for a fall snack. Pureed winter squash is also an excellent baby food due to its high nutrient profile - and it tastes so much better when you make it yourself. Spaghetti squash is a favorite at our house, it’s just fun to scoop out the “noodle” flesh and top with spaghetti sauce or even just olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Get creative and top with mushrooms, peppers and other vegetables you have on hand. 

Dr. Christopher taught that we should “eat under our own fig tree” and consume foods in their season. As we continue to increase our intake of seasonal whole foods – including delicious winter squash – we will provide our bodies with all the vital nutrients they need. Cutting open winter squash to reveal the bright orange inside during bleak winter months brings a ray of sunshine to long dark days. 

There are so many varieties of winter squash, pick up a new one to experiment with this week. And remember, now is a great time to stock up on your vitamins and minerals for the winter – in the form of winter squash! 

Tara Christopher Eyre is a Master Herbalist and Foot Zone Therapist/Practitioner. She loves helping people find and continue their path toward health.