Spaghetti squash is classified as a winter squash, and is harvested in the early fall. The name "spaghetti squash" comes from the fact that once it is cooked, the inner pulp comes out in long spaghetti-like strands, and can be substituted for spaghetti in pasta dishes. Spaghetti squash is not only tasty, but it also contains several vitamins and minerals.
Essential Fatty Acids
The only fat you usually find in vegetables is the butter you put on them before you eat them. Spaghetti squash, however, contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that omega-3 fatty acids are shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer, as well as reduce inflammation that can cause arthritis.
Omega-6 fatty acids work with the omega-3s to promote proper brain function, and both fatty acids are essential to good health.
Vitamins
Spaghetti squash does not contain a wide variety of vitamins, but the few that it does contain are important for proper cellular function. A report on spaghetti squash from "Nutrition Data," a website that relays nutrition information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shows that spaghetti squash contains vitamin A, vitamin C and several of the B vitamins, including B6, B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid) and B9 (folate.)
Vitamins A and C are antioxidant vitamins, which means they protect the body's cells from damage caused by outside stimuli, such as stress and toxic medications. The B vitamins are all necessary to convert carbohydrates into energy, as well as to maintain proper cellular function.
According to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, folate is especially important in the prevention of birth defects, but it is necessary to have a proper amount within the first month of pregnancy. Since many women are not even aware of their pregnancy until the second or third month, consuming a steady supply of folate through vegetables such as spaghetti squash is recommended.
Minerals
Spaghetti squash contains numerous minerals that are essential to body functions. Calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, manganese, selenium and zinc all play a different role in cellular function.
We may know that calcium plays a role in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth, but according to Nan Kathryn Fuchs, Ph.D. and nutritional consultant, magnesium is necessary for the proper absorption of calcium.
A fact sheet on potassium from "The Journal of Nutrition" states that potassium is also needed for the body to store calcium.
Add the fact that 1 cup of spaghetti squash contains only 31 calories and 7 carbohydrates, and you can see that spaghetti squash can even be enjoyed by people watching their weight.
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