Looking For the Best Summer Vegetable - Squash Makes the Top of the List!
Squash is one of the most versatile vegetables you can plant. Fast-growing and superabundant at harvest, assortments are available in stores and markets most of the year. It is a superfood known as a staple in ‘blue zones.’ See www.bluezones.com, the art of living better, longer. Let’s look closer at why this veggie family tops the list of best summer vegetables to grow and eat.
Squash, a large family (Cucurbits) of gourd plants, has been domesticated for about 8,000 years. Ancient Mesoamericans knew the benefits of squash, planting it with corn and beans in a group known as ‘The Three Sisters.’ Corn was placed in the middle of the planting supporting bean poles, which in turn gave nitrogen for more fertile soil, while squash formed a circular base surrounding the planting, keeping moisture locked in and weeds locked out. This symbiotic planting also meant a healthy diet - corn as a carb, beans for protein, and squash for its wealth of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Squash are also excellent pollinators, bringing bees and larger harvests to other nearby crops. Simply genius!
Low in calories, squash is chocked full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. It can help prevent cancer and improve eye, gut, and skin health. Squash is known to be light enough to enjoy raw in a spring salad or hearty enough to create an autumn soup. It is an excellent substitute for potatoes, rice, and noodles, replacing bad starches with a more nutritious alternative. Even the flowers can be eaten – but make sure you get them before the birds and squirrels do!
Choose ‘summer squash,’ green and yellow zucchini, crooked neck, or pattypan varieties in summer. They are low in carbs and about 20 calories per cup. These are perfect chopped for salads or slightly simmered with bell peppers and onions. Yummy for your taste buds, they are full of vitamins C and K, folate, and fiber that can lower your LDL (bad cholesterol), boosting your energy levels, keeping you fit and on the go!
Winter squashes typically have a more rigid shell than the summer varieties and are harvested when mature in late September or October. Butternut, acorn, delicata, and spaghetti are a few of the more widely available winter squashes. They contain between 30 and 60 calories and as much as 59% of vitamin A per cup. They also have unique carbs that aid in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cholesterol and insulin-regulating properties. Dependent upon variety, you can add potassium and B vitamins to the list to beef up your plate for warding off disease.
Create some new recipe ideas this year by starting with some old-school squash favorites, including zucchini boats with your homemade toppings, roasted butternut cubes, buttered baked acorn with cinnamon, zucchini bread, pancakes, and delicious zucchini relish. Oh, and do yourself a favor by shaving a bit of squash into your next smoothie too. You and your body will love it, I’m sure!
Have a healthy summertime this year!
This article first appeared in the Traveler Weekly Newspaper June, 2023
