To Squash Or Not To Squash...

[jeannine1976]

I picked up a butternut squash while grocery shopping the other day. I had it in my mind that squash was allowed on Induction. When I returned home and double checked, I found that I was right, but also wrong. Spaghetti squash, summer squash and zucchini are clear, but butternut and acorn squash aren't allowed until later in OWL.

I looked on Calorie King, and the butternut squash is higher in carbs, but only by one carb per oz. Is that enough to keep it out of Induction, or is there something else I'm missing?

[julirama723]

Re: To Squash Or Not To Squash...

Did you subtract fiber?

According to fitday...

Butternut squash is MUCH higher in carbs than induction squashes--a serving of butternut squash is 1/4 cup, and it's 6g carbs, no fiber. One cup of this would be 24g carbs, not to mention multiple servings, but for comparison's sake, let's use it.

A one-cup serving of spaghetti squash is 8g net carbs (10g-2g fiber). A one-cup serving of summer squash/zucchini is comparable, about 5g per serving. Comparing 1/4 cup servings of each, the butternut squash has 3x the amount of carbs as spaghetti squash, and 5x the amount of carbs as summer squash.

This not only means it has more carbs per serving, but it has a higher glycemic index and a higher glycemic load. Butternut squash has no fiber and is very starchy and sweet. This affects your blood sugar more drastically than induction squashes.

The good news is that hard rind squashes will keep for many months! You can store the squash in a cool dry place and it will probably still be good by the time you get to OWL Rung 8, Starchy Veggies!

[jeannine1976]

Re: To Squash Or Not To Squash...

I didn't use FitDay, I used CalorieKing and I did account for fibre. According to them, 1 oz. of spaghetti squash is 2.0g carbs - .6g fibre = 1.4g net carbs, while butternut squash is 3.3g carbs - .6g fibre = 2.4g net carbs. They also claim that spaghetti squash has .9g sugars per oz., while butternut squash has .6g. Based on those numbers, butternut squash has less than twice the carbs of spaghetti squash, and is actually lower is natural sugars.

I'm not saying this to argue, only to show the differences in our information and why I was led to ask in the first place. As for the squash itself, it can sit there. I love butternut squash, but not as much as I love the 11 lb. I've peeled off over the last 2 1/2 weeks.

[julirama723]

Re: To Squash Or Not To Squash...

I understand. I use fitday as my database of choice, but I know a lot of members here use CalorieKing, too.

1 oz. is an incredibly small amount--less than 2 tbsp. The amounts you gave were for RAW squash--the nutrient content changes slightly as they cook. For cooked squash, they list a serving as 1/2 cup, and I assume that's baked but not mashed, and that comes to 9.5g carbs according to them. Spaghetti squash comes out as 3.7g carbs per 1/2 cup. Remember that butternut squash is quite starchy, and that is not listed on the nutritional info.

Either way, it all goes back to a food's affect on blood sugar--spaghetti and summer squashes have more fiber (which supresses insulin), and butternut squash tastes very sweet (sweet foods often cause the cephalic insulin response) and raises the blood sugar in most people more so than induction veggies. That's why starchy veggies are not allowed on induction--many people have noticeable blood sugar swings from them. It's all about listening to your body...

Congrats on 11 pounds! That's absolutely fabulous! That beats butternut squash any day. But at least you can be assured that after you've worked your way up the rungs, you'll most likely be able to enjoy your butternut squash with no problems!