Vegetables are healthy but are often prepared in ways that make them a dietary nightmare. Frying them, dousing them in butter or drowning them under cheese or sour cream can make even the healthiest vegetable into a caloric landmine. The healthiest way to prepare most vegetables is to simply steam them, adding no fat or calories to these nutritional powerhouses.
Shopping for Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is a large, oval-shaped, pale yellow winter squash in the same family as pumpkins and butternut and acorn squash. This gourd becomes ripe in the fall and can easily be stored in your pantry for a month and remain fresh, according to the Martha Stewart website. A choice squash will have a uniformly colored pale-yellow shell and feel heavy for its size.
Stovetop Steaming
The squash should be peeled, halved and the seeds scooped out and discarded, the Betty Crocker website instructs. Cube the remaining squash and place in steamer basket over 1/2 inch of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam for between seven and 10 minutes for small pieces and 12 to 15 minutes for larger chunks.
Microwave Steaming
To steam your squash in the microwave, that What's Cooking America website advises you to cut the gourd in half, lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the seeds. Wrap the halves in plastic wrap and microwave them for 12 minutes. They will be very hot when you remove them. Let them cool for a few minutes before removing the wrap and using a fork to rake the flesh into spaghetti-like strands.
Nutritional Information
A 1-cup serving of spaghetti squash contains only 35 calories. The squash contains a host of useful minerals and nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, the University of Illinois Extension reports. It is also a rich source of vitamins A, B and C. A deeply colored, orange-toned spaghetti squash will be richer in vitamin A than a paler, yellow-colored squash.
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