
To retain more minerals and water-soluble vitamins, try microwaving, steaming, or baking instead ( 17, 18). Our score is based on Harvard research and our data analysis.

Antioxidant capacity: increases by up to 320% with any cooking methodīeta-carotene and other carotenoids increase with some cooking methods because heat breaks down the cell walls in vegetables, allowing it to be released and more easily absorbed ( 16).įor most other nutrients, boiling is the method that reduces nutrient content the most. Carbohydrates are made up of three components: fiber, starch, and sugar.Polyphenols: increase by up to 45% with any cooking method.Vitamin C: decreases by up to 50% with any cooking method.Beta-carotene: increases by up to 30% when boiled and decreases by up to 20% when steamed or microwaved.While we didn’t find any studies on acorn squash specifically, research in similar vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, shows how some nutrients are affected by cooking ( 14, 15): Does cooking impact the nutrition of acorn squash?Ĭooking can increase or decrease certain vitamins and minerals in acorn squash, depending on the method used. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition. In sweet potato and in acorn squash most calories came from carbs. Sweet potato has 86 kcal per 100g and acorn squash kcal per 100g so it is pretty easy to calculate that the difference is about 0. + Contains carotenoids, but not as much as other winter squashes. Calories Protein, 5, (1.6 g x 2.4 Kcal/g 4 kcal) Fat, 2, (0.196 g x 8.37 Kcal/g 1.6 kcal) Carbohydrate, 92, (21.5355 g x 3.6 Kcal/g 76.88 kcal). The Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. At first glance, you can see that in sweet potato is much calories than in acorn squash. There is no official recommendation for carotenoid intake, but some experts suggest getting at least 4 mg of beta-carotene, 0.6 mg of alpha-carotene, and 3.3 mg of lutein daily for general health and reduced risk of lung cancer ( 13).


On the other hand, acorn squash provides a small amount of lutein & zeaxanthin (0.053 mg), while sweet potatoes and butternut squash don’t contain any.
ACORN SQUASH NUTRITION INFO FREE
Like most winter squash, acorn squash is a rich source of carotenoids, a group of plant pigments that give vegetables their bright red, orange, and yellow colors.Ĭarotenoids have strong antioxidant properties, meaning that they help protect against free radicals - compounds that have been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer ( 7, 8).Ī one-cup (140-gram) portion of raw acorn squash contains the following carotenoids ( 9):Īcorn squash contains less beta-carotene but more lutein and zeaxanthin than similar vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash ( 10, 11, 12).įor example, raw butternut squash contains almost 20 times more beta-carotene per cup than acorn squash (5.9 mg vs 0.3 mg, respectively.) + Good source of vitamins B2 (niacin) and B9 (folate) and the minerals potassium and iron. + Excellent source of vitamins B1 (thiamin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, and C and the minerals manganese, magnesium, and copper.
