Spaghetti squash Nutrition facts
Spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash is another popular winter squash cultivar in the cucurbita (gourd) family of vegetables. The spaghetti stands out from other squash varieties for its thick, pasta-like fibers and for the same reason often referred as 'vegetable-spaghetti' Its low carbohydrate, nutrition-rich thicker strands are a suitable alternative to cereal noodles, especially in people with gluten sensitivity.
This squash is a fast-growing vine/bushy shrub as that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such pumpkin, acorn squash, cucumber, zucchini, etc.
Scientific name: Cucurbita pepo spp.
Spaghetti squash prefers well-drained loamy soil. The plant is monoecious, bears separate male and female flowers. The fruit appears about 45 days after the seedling and ready for harvest at 70 to 85 days. The pod is a cylindrical fruit with rounded ends and cream-yellow/orange, smooth, hard rind (skin), measuring about 7-9 inches in length and 4-6 inches in width, weighing about 3 pounds. Its thick rind is smooth with light, vertical ribs.
| Nutrition Principle | Nutrition Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | ||
| Energy | 31 Kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 6.91 g | 5% |
| Protein | 0.64 g | 1% |
| Total Fat | 0.57 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.5 g | 6.5% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 12 μg | 3% |
| Niacin | 0.950 mg | 6% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.360 mg | 6.5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.101 mg | 8% |
| Riboflavin | 0.018 mg | 1.5% |
| Thiamin | 0.037 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin A | 120 IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 2.1 mg | 3.5% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 17 mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 108 mg | 2% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 23 mg | 2% |
| Copper | 0.037 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.31 mg | 4% |
| Magnesium | 12 mg | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.125 mg | 0.5% |
| Phosphorus | 12 mg | 2% |
| Selenium | 0.3 μg | <0.5% |
| Zinc | 0.19 mg | 1.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-α | 16 μg | -- |
| Carotene-ß | 64 μg | -- |