All About Delicata Squash Nutrition and How It Compares to Other Squashes

Winter squash contain a moderate amount of carbs per cup — and the carbs are also accompanied by other nutrients, deeming it a nutrient-rich addition to your meal plan.
Image Credit: Stephen Ehlers/Moment Open/GettyImages

Delicata squash is a type of winter squash that's well known for its striped exterior and bright orange interior.

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Delicata squash's nutrition profile features various vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A and C. This type of squash is mostly made of carbohydrates, with little fat and small amounts of protein.

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What Is Delicata Squash?

The winter squash delicata goes by a variety of other names. You might also know this squash as:

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  • sweet potato squash
  • peanut squash
  • bohemian squash
  • sweet dumpling squash

Delicata squashes are known for having cream or pale orange exteriors with green or dark orange stripes. They are easily differentiated from other winter squash, such as butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash or Hubbard squash, which are just one color. Delicata's exterior is much more delicate than other types of squash, giving it its name.

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Many types of squash are known for being low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. This means that several different types of squash are often eaten by people on reduced-carb and keto diets.

Delicata Squash Nutrition Facts

One cup (116 grams) of winter squash is equal to a single serving. Each serving contains the following nutrients, according to the USDA:

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  • ​Calories​​: 39
  • ​​Total fat​​: 0.2 g
    • ​​Saturated fat​​: 0 g
  • ​Cholesterol​​: 0 mg
  • ​Sodium​​: 4.6 mg
  • ​​Total carbs​​: 10 g
    • ​​Dietary fiber​​: 1.7 g
    • ​Sugar​​: 2.6 g
  • ​Protein​​: 1.1 g

Winter squash like delicata squash contains 39 calories in a 1-cup serving. A 100-gram serving contains 34 calories.

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Squash Macros

  • ​​Total fat​​: One cup of winter squash like delicata squash has 0.2 grams of total fat, which includes 0.065 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.012 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat.
  • ​Carbohydrates​​: One cup of winter squash has 10 grams of carbs, which includes 1.7 grams of fiber and 2.6 grams of naturally occurring sugars.
  • ​Protein​​: One cup of winter squash has 1.1 grams of protein.

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Vitamins, Minerals and Other Micronutrients

  • ​Vitamin C​: 16% of your Daily Value (DV)
  • ​​Vitamin B6​​: 11% DV
  • Potassium​​: 9% DV
  • ​​Vitamin A​​: 9% DV
  • ​Manganese​​: 8% DV
  • ​​Folate (B9)​​: 7% DV
  • ​​Riboflavin (B2)​​: 6% DV
  • ​Magnesium​​: 4% DV
  • ​Iron​​: 4% DV
  • ​​Thiamin (B1)​​: 3% DV
  • ​​Thiamin (B1)​​: 3% DV
  • Calcium​:​ 2% DV
  • ​Phosphorus​​: 2% DV
  • ​Zinc​​: 2% DV
  • ​Selenium​​: 1% DV

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How Many Calories Are in a Whole Delicata Squash?

The amount of calories in a delicata squash depends on the weight of the gourd. Delicata squash typically weighs 1 to 2 pounds. Winter squash contains 10 calories per ounce, so a 1-pound delicata squash contains 160 calories and a 2-pound delicata squash contains 320 calories.

Comparing Different Types of Winter Squash

Per 1 cup

Acorn Squash

Butternut Squash

Delicata Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Calories

56

63

39

31

Fat

0.1 g

0.1 g

0.2 g

0.6 g

Total carbs

14.6 g

16.4 g

10 g

7 g

Fiber

2.1 g

2.8 g

1.7 g

1.5 g

Protein

1.1 g

1.4 g

1.1 g

0.6 g

Vitamin A

3% DV

83% DV

9% DV

1% DV

Vitamin C

17% DV

33% DV

16% DV

2% DV

Source(s): USDA

Delicata squash's calories and nutrition fall somewhere in the middle of the winter squash family. It's less nutrient-rich than some of the more popular types of winter squash, like butternut squash. Delicata squash's nutrition is probably most comparable to acorn squash, although delicata has more vitamin A. There are similar amounts of carbs in delicata squash and most other types of winter squash.

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Compared to the nutrition of spaghetti squash per cup, 1 cup of delicata squash has more calories and carbohydrates. But delicata also contains more protein, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Even if you're comparing these two types of winter squash gram for gram, you'll still find a bit more of every macronutrient (fat, protein and carbohydrates) in delicata squash, along with larger amounts of most nutrients (with the exception of a few B-complex vitamins).

Although delicata squash has more nutrients compared to spaghetti squash, it has slightly fewer nutrients compared to other popular types of winter squash, such as butternut squash. This ultimately means that if you're looking for the most nutritionally rich winter squash, chances are it will come with the most protein, carbohydrates and fat as well.

The Carbs in Delicata Squash

The carbohydrate content of delicata squash means that people on strict low-carb diets will likely avoid this nutrient-rich food. This is because strict diets like the ketogenic diet only allow around 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, not including fiber.

But delicata squash is a perfectly nutritious food for most people to eat. It has fewer carbohydrates compared to many other common foods. For example, sweet potatoes contain 41.4 grams of carbs per cup, per the USDA. That's much higher than delicata's 10 grams of carbs per cup.

Given the number of nutrients in delicata squash, you should try to incorporate winter squash like these into your diet when possible. With 10 grams of carbs per cup, delicata squash is particularly well-suited for many low-carb diets.

Tip

Those following a standard 2,000-calorie diet should get 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates on a daily basis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Americans should aim for 2 to 4 cups of vegetables per day depending on their caloric intake, per the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

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