[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Butternut squash, also called butternut squash, can add color to your plate and enrich your diet with a unique flavor and many minerals. It belongs to vegetables with low fat, cholesterol and sodium content. You can eat both the nutrient-rich flesh of butternut squash and the magnesium-packed seeds without worrying about calories. But then, how many calories are in butternut squash?
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
Calories of a butternut: 45 Kcal per 100 g
Like the most popular pumpkins, butternut squash is also very low in calories. 100 grams of this vegetable contains only 45 calories. It can therefore be consumed in large portions without causing weight gain. A large butternut squash of 650 g provides 293 Kcal while a small zucchini can weigh 180 g and
Butternut: Protein, carbohydrate and lipid content
. The calories in butternut squash come from 8% protein, 91% carbohydrates, and 2% fat.
Butternut squash nutritional values table
| Nutrients | butternut: content per 100 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 11.7g |
| -with sugar | 2.2g |
| -of which starch | 0mg |
| -including dietary fiber | 2g |
| Proteins | 1g |
| Lipids | 0.1g |
| -including cholesterol | 0mg |
| -of which saturates | 0.021g |
| Potassium | 352 mg |
| Sodium | 4 mg |
| Water | 86.4g |
How much does a butternut weigh on average?
A medium-sized butternut squash weighs 520g and provides approximately 234 calories (kcal). To visualize how much that actually is, keep in mind that the amount of calories from one medium-sized butternut squash (520 g) is similar to the amount of calories from 4.5 apples, 3 glasses of Coke, 2 slices of cheese, 2 slices of bread, 1.5 glasses of milk or 12 teaspoons of sugar.
To burn this amount of calories (234 kcal), for example, you need to cycle for at least 33 minutes, swim for 28 minutes or run for 24 minutes
Minerals and vitamins contained in buttercream
Butternut squash is a type of winter squash along with squash and pumpkin. The vitamins most strongly present in these types of squash include vitamin A and vitamin C. A 100-gram serving of butternut contains 67% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. Butternut squash also provides significant levels of manganese , magnesium and potassium. One serving contains approximately 12 to 14 percent of the required daily levels of each of these minerals.
Significant amounts of various B vitamins as well as beneficial trace minerals such as copper, zinc, tryptophan and omega-3 fatty acids are also present in butternut squash. Butternut also contains a significant amount of vitamins B6 and E. A single serving provides about a tenth of the daily requirement for these two vitamins.
Another major health benefit of butternut squash is its high amount of dietary fiber. Fiber, like vitamins, does not provide caloric benefits to the body, but rather serves as a cleansing mechanism for the digestive tract.
Health benefits of butternut squash
The important benefits of butternut squash center on its antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids, which can be quite rare in other fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A is a major antioxidant, but it is not the only one present in butternut. It contains polyphenolic compounds such as cryptoxanthin-B, alpha and beta carotene and lutein.
Polyphenolic compounds are known to dilate blood vessels to promote blood flow. They also have beneficial effects on heart function. They also play an anti-inflammatory role for the skin. Carotenoids give butternut squash its orange color. They may help prevent cancer and improve vision and heart function.
The richest peanut squash dishes are salads, pureed soups and steamed dishes. However, the benefits of butternut squash may be reduced with cooking. This is because it tends to break down many of the beneficial vitamins it contains. Since it is low in fat, sodium and calories, butternut is a good substitute for less healthy ingredients. It is also used worldwide in a variety of foods.
Does butternut squash make you gain weight?
The butternut, sometimes called peanut squash, is wrongly the victim of a kind of demonization because of its sweet taste which would like to associate it with sweet foods. In reality, as we will see during our study, this pumpkin is a vegetable with extraordinary properties that should not be missing from our diet, even if we are on a diet.
Specialists have examined the properties of butternut, but we have not yet answered the question that presses many: does butternut make you gain weight? The answer is no, butternut squash is low in calories. Just think that in 100 g of this vegetable we only find 45 calories.
But be careful! There is a part of this vegetable that many people love: the seeds, which are fatty and provide a lot of calories. It’s best not to overdo it, although small doses are good for you! In fact, they contain 450 calories per 100 grams.