You may have heard spaghetti squash referred to as “vegetable spaghetti” or “noodle squash.” The insides look just like spaghetti, making this squash ready to be your next pasta.

Spaghetti squash is a powerhouse of nutrients, including carotenoids and vitamin C. Carotenoids are converted to vitamin A in our bodies.  Vitamin A is crucial to the development of our cells, allowing them to mature rather than multiply before they’re ready. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that not only fights free radicals, but helps other antioxidants do their job. We encourage people to get their vitamin C from foods if going through chemotherapy and avoiding supplemental forms of vitamin C as it may interfere with the chemotherapy.

Spaghetti squash also boasts excellent sources of vitamin B-6 and magnesium. Vitamin B-6 is required for accessing our energy stores in the form of glucose, as well as for making proteins that carry oxygen around our body. Whereas magnesium is critical for transferring energy to different parts of the body.

One cup of cooked spaghetti squash contains about 40 calories and 2g of dietary fiber.

Chef Tips

Spaghetti squash is easy to find in stores and also easy to grow. Spaghetti squash comes in an ivory yellow or orange. To avoid large seeds, stick to the ivory yellow. It can be stored whole in a fridge for about two weeks before its texture starts to change. The vegetable can also be stored at room temperature, just make sure it doesn’t get wet.

Using a fork, the inside flesh of the squash can be easily scraped out. This technique helps to highlight the “spaghetti”-like nature of squash. If eating raw, try tossing it in olive oil and spice of your choice. Spaghetti squash can be roasted or cooked in a crockpot or even a microwave. Cooking can make scooping the “spaghetti” out of the shell easier than when raw.

Perhaps one of the best qualities of spaghetti squash is its fast prep time. Two quick recipes you can check out are our Spaghetti Squash au Gratin and Spaghetti Squash Primavera. Both take a maximum of 30 minutes and end in a delicious dish.