Squash - Fall or any time of the year

A food staple during the fall season, squash is comforting, delicious, and healthy. It's often steamed or roasted, but can be used for raw or uncooked vegetables. Squash has two main categories: summer squash, which is harvested when immature, and winter squash, which spends more time on the vine and typically has a rigid exterior.

Several specific varieties of squash: acorn, spaghetti, butternut, and kabocha squash. While many call it a vegetable, squash is actually a type of fruit, as it comes from a flower and contains seeds. The seeds, as  well as the flesh can be eaten. 

Squash is chock-full of fiber and antioxidants as well as many vitamins, and minerals, The antioxidants in squash can play an important role in reducing oxidative stress which may help with cancer prevention.  Other health benefits provided by squash include:

Improved Eye Health - vitamin C and beta-carotene in squash may slow macular degeneration. Foods rich in vitamin C can also help prevent cataracts.

Squash also Reduced Risk of Depression rich in vitamin B6. People with deficiency may be at a higher risk of developing mental health concerns such as depression.The beta-carotene can play a role in protecting the skin from the sun’s UV light exposure. Squash is also high in fiber, which aids in digestion.